Kagome's Laundry
by BoxingBunny
Summary: A series of one-shots and drabbles focusing on Kagome/Bleach character pairings.
1. Broken

AN: Okay, so your authoress is a lazy-ass…but I'm (still) in the middle of a hellacious move and hunt for a second part-time job. If anyone is interested in the statuses of my other stories, I'll talk about that in the ending AN so be sure to read it! This is something that I've wanted to get started for a while now and have only recently decided on a beginning couple. For anyone interested in Naruto/Inuyasha fanfiction, you should give _o0KittyBlue0o_'s series NinjaMiko Love a read! That's where the idea for this came from :)

The way this is going to work is like this:  
-Each chapter is going to be a Kagome/Bleach character one-shot.  
-Ratings will vary and be listed at the beginning of the chapter.  
-Lengths will vary from short, drabble lengths to full chapter or normal one-shot lengths.  
-If you want to see a particular pairing—any Kagome pairing at all!—leave it in a review or send me a message.  
-If you have any chapter ideas/prompts feel free to suggest them and I'll likely use it at some point! I'll of course give credit where credit is due for the ideas at the beginning of the chapters.

That's about it! Here's the first chapter, so let's see how this goes :) Enjoy and let me know what you think! Also, I almost hit myself when I thought of this title but I needed one! If anyone can think of anything more fitting (or not as stupid), PLEASE let me know!! Thanks!

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Chapter 1: Broken  
Pairing: Kagome/Isshin  
Rating: T

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He was a Captain.

She was a Third Seat.

He loved her.

She loved him.

He didn't trust Aizen.

She gave everyone the benefit-of-the-doubt.

He asked her not to go, said that he had a bad feeling.

She said that her Captain had asked her to lead a team to take care of a tricky Hollow; she had to go.

He watched her wave goodbye with a heavy heart and a feeling of dread.

She never came back.

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Kagome was glad when she saw her destination come into view. The orange-haired boy draped over her shoulder was starting to get heavy. He needed the training, but pushing yourself to the point of passing out from exhaustion wasn't good for a person's mind or body. _'What are you having this boy do, Shinji?'_ She thought as she landed on Ichigo's windowsill before jumping soundlessly to the floor.

She looked around, surveying the dark room, and smiled. She was sure that her little brother's room probably looked similar by now.

Facing the bed, Kagome gently lowered Ichigo back into the body sleeping soundly and caught the small, green ball that the mod-soul resided in as it popped out of his mouth. She quickly tucked it into the mouth of the stuffed lion lying on the adjacent desk. As Kon came to life once more, Kagome covered his mouth with one hand as she pressed a slender finger to the mouth of her vizard mask. When the tiny avatar became frightened, she merely pointed to the sleeping form of Ichigo before retracting her hand.

Kon nodded that he understood before turning back to her and asking in a serious whisper, "Who are you?"

"I'm one of the vizard that live in this town."

Not happy with her vagueness, Kon tried again. "I've never seen you around here before."

"I try not to get mixed up in the invisible wars and battles. I've seen enough of that. Now I just want to live my life as peacefully as possible. Every now and then Shinji will ask a small favor and I'll help him. He's done a lot for me as well as your friend here." With her answer given, she made her way to the bedroom door but stopped when she was called.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Kon demanded.

"Shinji also asked if I would check on Ichigo's family to make sure that they were okay while he was away training." And with that she walked into the hall to make her rounds.

She followed the different presences that she felt and found two young girls. One with dark blonde hair seemed to be sleeping deeply while surrounded by a multitude of stuffed animals. But the other black-haired girl seemed to be having a nightmare. Kagome settled on the edge of the bed and lifted her mask before allowing her hand to glow a faint blue. She ran her hand across the girl's forehead, temple to temple, then over her eyes and smiled when the girl settled into a calm, dreamless sleep.

Kagome lowered her mask once more as she stood and moved onto the last occupant of the house that she could sense.

She pushed open the slightly ajar door and entered what had to be the master bedroom of the house. Making her way over to the bed, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She took in the face of the man that was illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through a window; black and naturally spiky hair, defined and masculine jaw line accentuated by a light and scruffy beard, straight nose, lightly tanned skin.

Now standing beside the bed, Kagome reached out a slightly trembling hand as she felt tears well up in her currently black and yellow eyes. "Isshin," she whispered almost as a question. But as soon as the name left her lips, she found herself pinned with her chest against a wall with her arms firmly behind her back.

"You will tell me what you are doing in this house, monster." A deep, rough voice commanded behind her head, causing shivers to run down her spine.

"I was bringing your son home safely," she answered as her heart broke realizing what Ichigo and his sisters represented. Isshin had moved on.

"You will stay away from my son, do you understand? If I find you anywhere near him or my two daughters again, I won't give you a second chance," Isshin instructed as he pulled her towards the window and opened it. "Leave now. I'm only letting you go because I know that you were a shinigami at some point before you were turned, like my son."

Kagome readied herself to leave before pausing in the window. She would likely never see him again and with his heart likely belonging to another she probably wouldn't be able to stand it if she did. She had to take this as her last chance. "I'm sorry," she mumbled brokenly.

"What?" She could hear the confusion clearly in his voice.

"I'm sorry that I never came back. I'm sorry that I left when you asked me not to go. I'm sorry that I didn't listen." She could now feel the tears running down the inside of her mask only to drip onto her knee.

Isshin watched her suspiciously for a moment before asking, "Who did you used to be?"

Her heart clenched tightly at the way he worded his question. It was like she didn't exist anymore. Even if he knew, he likely wouldn't acknowledge that she was still who she used to be. It sounded like he even had a hard time accepting what Ichigo was now. But she owed it to him. She had no idea what they told him about what happened to her, but he deserved to know the truth.

So, lifting her mask as her heart pounded in her chest, she apologized once more. "I'm sorry I left you alone."

She could see the emotions running across his face and through his eyes; disbelief, confusion, hurt, anger, relief. But it was her turn to feel surprised when just as quickly as she'd been pushed against the wall, she was pulled against his strong chest.

"They said that you had died on that mission," his voice was firm with obvious betrayal.

"They weren't entirely wrong. At least, it felt like I was dying. The next thing I knew I had to run away from Soul Society. Shinji and the others found me and helped train me in these new powers. I've been living here, avoiding all of the fighting, ever since." She could tell that he was still trying to take everything in, but one question was weighing on her heart and mind heavier than anything else. Not sure how to ask, she prodded gently by asking "You have children now?"

A deep, watery laugh was her first reply. "Yeah…Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin."

The situation surrounding their reunion felt awkward at best. So she continued with their strained conversation. "I always told you that you would make a good father." She paused. "What about their mother?"

Isshin became very quiet before answering in a soft, longing voice, "She was human. She died trying to protect Ichigo from a Hollow several years ago."

Kagome pushed away from his embrace and looked into Isshin's eyes. They were sad but accepting. While he missed this woman deeply, he had obviously come to terms with her death some time ago. "I'm sorry you lost her."

In the seriousness of the moment the last thing Kagome expected was the light smack she felt on the top of her head. "That was always your problem back then too," she gave him a confused look as a small smile made its way to his face. "You apologize too much for things you can't control."

Kagome stayed at the Kurosaki home for several more hours before making her way to the window once again. Neither one was sure where to go from here. Should they try to pick up where they left off? Should they agree to part as friends? Would it be best to just pretend that they had never seen each other? Looking back at the man that she once loved—still loved—she saw him give her a small smile and a wave.

Smiling back, Kagome left not knowing what the future would hold for the two of them. But she was sure that they would have a future.

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AN: Oh, the cheesiness of it all! I couldn't help myself though. I've NEVER seen a Kagome/Isshin pairing, so decided that it would be good to start off with. I like Ichigo's dad :) The title came from the song Broken because I was listening to Seether when I got the idea.  
So here's the deal with my other stories:  
-I'm working on the second chapters of Academy Days, Dance Floor Lovers, and Love at First Blush.  
-The final chapters of Why Guys Like Girls are on their way, but are a little more serious than the others and have been giving me a little trouble.  
-I also have the next chapter for True Legends partially written, but Sesshoumaru is being a pain to write for like he is right now. I'll be so happy when he can communicate normally again.

Remember to let me know what you think and let me know if there are any pairings you want to see! Thanks for reading!


	2. Maybe?

AN: I'm glad you guys like this so far! :D Here's the next chapter. Keep requests coming! This is fun!

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Chapter 2: Maybe?  
Pairing: Kagome/Noba  
Rating: K+  
For: hieikag  
Prompt: Uncertainty

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He watched her closely just like always. A young woman by the name of Kagome Higurashi had been helping around Urahara's shop lately with menial chores.

Noba wasn't sure on the circumstances that brought her to the shop or kept her there, but he wasn't going to complain. It was definitely a case of admiration from afar.

He had always been the quiet type. He knew that he was shy and not very outspoken, unlike his companions Ririn and Kurodo. She was likely to never notice his existence. Not that he could blame her.

She was petite and seemed delicate, but with as often as she tripped or roughhoused with the Jinta and Ururu, he knew that this wasn't true. Her black hair always looked silky, soft, and well maintained. What he loved most was her smile. It was real and full of life. When she smiled her blue eyes would light up and sparkle with her mirth. How was it that she wasn't being courted by anyone?

Kagome was kind, smart, funny, and caring. She was everything wonderful and perfect in his eyes. Surely she deserved much better than an engineered soul in the body of a plush turtle who was too shy to even greet her.

What would she say to him if he ever worked up the nerve to say hello?

She would never be able to accept his affections if he wasn't even able to voice them.

He had watched as she turned down dates from several of the men who passed through the shop regularly. She would never want to be with someone as timid as him. Right?

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Noba stretched the stiff limbs of his faux body. Today was one of the occasions when they were allowed to use the gigai Urahara had made specifically for them and their powers. It was important that their more combat-suited bodies didn't become stiff or unresponsive to them.

He tried teleporting a few places around the shop; short areas mainly before deciding to move onto longer distances. Heading outside, Noba knew that Kagome would be arriving soon. She was supposed to go to the grocery store before arriving today. Maybe he could help her with the bags? That was a step, right?

The sun blinded him momentarily as he stepped out into the bright afternoon light, but his attention and vision was swiftly brought to focus when he heard a car horn sound.

Attempting to cross the street with her arms full was Kagome who looked very much like a deer in the headlights with a speeding car only a couple of meters away from her.

Completely disregarding what Urahara had told them about using their powers in front of normal humans, Noba quickly formed one of his portals and made it to Kagome just in time to pull her backwards towards him and disappear again.

When they landed out of his return portal, it was in a heap of limbs and groceries on the floor in the front portion of Urahara's shop. Blushing heavily, Noba pulled himself away from the girl he'd landed on top of and set about picking up the spilled goods while not making any eye contact.

Kagome was stunned. She wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. She had been trying to cross the street when a car seemingly came out of nowhere, and then not five seconds later she found herself inside sprawled out on Urahara's floor.

Hearing the light clang of food cans, Kagome turned her attention to what appeared to be a young man who was picking up her groceries. His aura felt so familiar. It was similar to that of Ririn and Kurodo. Could this be the much quieter soul that inhabited the turtle plushie that she saw around from time to time? The others had told her about him before.

"Noba?" She questioned gently. When he froze and fumbled slightly with the carrots he was picking up, she smiled. "I thought that was you. We've never actually talked, have we?"

He didn't say anything but merely set her gathered groceries in front of her, bowed slightly, zipped his mask, and started to walk away. Had she done something wrong?

Reaching out to grab his sleeve before he disappeared down the hallway, Kagome spoke, "Thank you for saving me." She saw him nod. "Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me? Inuyasha always used to tell me that I couldn't do anything right. He used to get so annoyed when he had to rescue me constantly…" She gave an awkward laugh as she continued to ramble nervously.

Noba turned to face her and unzipped the corner of his mask just enough so that he could watch her animated ramblings. When she started apologizing for making him come save her, he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder before he could think about the action. He shook his head gently when she looked up at him surprised. Not able to look at her any longer, he rezipped the small open portion of his mask.

Kagome smiled and giggled at what now seemed to be a nervous habit he had. She reached up tentatively and tugged the zipper on the mask all the way open. The intense aqua of his eyes surprised her and she studied what little bit of his face that she could see. She decided that the crimson of his hair offset his eyes perfectly and she wondered briefly if his cheeks always matched his hair color.

"Well then, if we're going to be friends, I think it's best that we look each other in the eye. Don't you think so?"

He gave her a hesitant nod before she smiled and picked up her groceries. "Will you help me put these away in the kitchen, Noba?"

Another timid nod and she pulled him toward the kitchen and walked by his side.

She sent him a nervous sideways-glance and blushed when she met his eyes as he glanced at her as well.

Kagome knew that he was what Urahara called a mod-soul and used a faux body. He was a fighter like Ichigo, Ishida, Chad…and Inuyasha. She bit her lip when she felt her heartstrings tug at the thought of her new, handsome friend. Could he be interested in a human woman?

He seemed to blush a lot around her. That could be a positive sign…right??

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AN: Yay! That was fun :) I'm having so much fun with these! Okay, up next on my list of requests is Kagome/Toushirou for Miyamori. Also, Miyamori, thanks for the name suggestion! But I was trying to come up with something not mentioning shinigami specifically because between the arrancar/espada, vizards, quincy, and humans there are a good many characters that aren't shinigami :( And just so I was clear, does everyone get the title?? In my stupid kind of humor, I thought it was a funny play on Kagome being with Bleach characters xD But I do realize that it's kind of goofy xP  
Anyway, thanks for reading and be sure to tell me what you think and send some requests! Until next time!


	3. Snowballs

AN: Just realized that I had been forgetting my disclaimers! Wow! I've already gotten a bunch of requests :D I'm doing them in the order that I got them and I'll have a list at the end of the chapter of what's coming up next in my lineup!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 3: Snowballs  
Pairing: Kagome/Hitsugaya  
Rating: K+  
For: Miyamori

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It was important for a shinigami to communicate with their zanpakutou. They were partners and needed to be in perfect harmony for them to be able to fight effectively.

One shinigami who was especially dedicated to this communication was one Toushirou Hitsugaya.

Week One:

Toushirou was speaking with Hyourinmaru about some of the battle applications that their attacks could have when he heard something that almost had him rolling his eyes. It was the sound of giggles outside of his door. He often went to a separate area and shut the doors due to the rapid drop in temperature that his officers often complained about.

Matsumoto's giggling was usually enough to make him wary, but she'd recently found a new "buddy" in his newly appointed Fifth Seat officer, Kagome Higurashi. The two women made him undeniably nervous for reasons he wasn't quite sure of. But as quickly as he had noticed the laughter it stopped.

There was no telling what the two women were up to, but he wasn't going to think on it at the moment and instead turned back to the conversation he'd been having with the ice dragon.

Week Four:

Hyourinmaru was very old and wise and Toushirou enjoyed the talks that they would have. But the old dragon seemed…distracted today. But he also seemed content and maybe even happy?

But his thoughts were interrupted as something cold and wet hit the back of his head. Whipping around quickly, Toushirou saw a flurry of orange-blonde and black hair before the door to the room shut firmly. When he looked down he saw what appeared to be the remnants of a snowball made of the frost and snow that would accumulate in Hyourinmaru's presence.

"Matsumoto," he ground out. He was sure that it had been she and that Kagome girl at the door.

Wait…was Hyourinmaru chuckling at him??

Week Eight:

The first snowball hadn't been the last. He had just been assaulted by yet another one of the cursed things before parts of it slid down the back of his neck making him cringe. He had to find somewhere else for his conversations with his zanpakutou.

Week Twelve:

It was perfect. It wasn't anywhere near his division. Surely he would find some peace out in the forests. He released Hyourinmaru again and smiled faintly when the cold winds bit at his skin. It was probably some of Hyourinmaru's influence, but he always looked forward to winter in Soul Society.

He felt much calmer when there was snow and ice around him. It was already late fall.

Winter was right around the corner.

Week Sixteen:

Curse those women! How did they always manage to find him?! They (or more precisely Matsumoto) knew that deep down he would never harm, punish, or even begrudge them for what they were doing. But if he had to endure one more snowball, he was sure that he was going to snap.

Week Twenty:

Winter was in full swing in Soul Society. Everyone else complained about the temperatures and the ice, but couldn't have been more content.

He was currently walking down a street of his division, on his way to his newest (and currently undiscovered) spot to talk to Hyourinmaru. That was when he saw one of his tormentors. Kagome Higurashi was currently carrying a large stack of papers to no doubt leave on his desk for inspection. It could be a trap set by the duo. Should he hide? Would they follow him?

A thought suddenly struck Toushirou.

When had he allowed his subordinates to make him so paranoid??

He was their Captain! There was no need for him to hide from them. With this thought firmly in mind, he continued on his way with his head held high.

He was nearing the dark-haired girl when he heard a light gasp. The streets were icy and he had seen in the past that Kagome held little natural grace. Rushing forward on the familiar terrain, Toushirou caught her just before her bottom connected with the cold ground, but the papers had been sufficiently scattered.

Still holding her just above the ground he asked in his normal calm tone, "Are you alright?" Her cheeks seemed more flushed than they should be. Maybe the chilly weather had given her a cold?

"I'm fine. Thank you, Captain!" She didn't sound sick and the brilliant smile that she gave him said that she certainly didn't feel ill.

He nodded slightly as his stomach twisted in an odd way. Then, just as he was about to straighten and help the girl balance herself, a snowball landed squarely on the back of his head. The shock alone was enough to knock him off balance and he was sent crashing down on the girl in his arms who gave a small "eep!"

When he opened his eyes with a small groan, he realized a few things right away. One, he was going to kill Matsumoto when he got his hands on her. Two, he was on top of something very soft and warm. Three, his lips were currently resting on the much softer lips of his Fifth Seat officer.

They were away from each other in an instant, both with faces tinted pink.

As she stammered out apologies, Toushirou noticed the odd twisting in his stomach again. It wasn't nausea; in fact, it almost tickled. He swallowed thickly around a sudden lump that had formed in his throat. Was he catching a cold?

"Captain!" Matsumoto shouted as she came running up from behind him. "Are you two okay?" She asked in a voice that sounded far too innocent.

"I'm fine. I apologize for a moment ago, Higurashi," Toushirou said feeling a bit awkward about the entire situation.

"I'm okay, Captain Hitsugaya. Don't worry about it," Kagome waved off with her cheeks still tinged a rosy color.

Matsumoto eyed the pair carefully before piping in, "You know, Captain, I think the gentlemanly thing to do would be to walk Kagome home and make sure that she's alright! She also makes wonderful tea and just the other day she was telling me how she'd recently been toying with a new daifuku recipe! I have to watch my figure, you know, but maybe you could give them a test for her."

Kagome gave Matsumoto a pointed look that obviously meant something because Matsumoto merely laughed and winked at the girl. The meanings of these actions were lost on the young Captain, however.

Deciding to leave his silly Lieutenant, Toushirou walked over to a protesting Kagome and offered her his hand so that he could pull her up off of the ground. "I was concerned for your health before the fall, so I do think it's best if I walk you home."

Blue locked with teal as Kagome stared at him for a moment before reaching out a small hand to take his. "Thank you, Captain. I'll make us something warm for lunch to repay you," she said with a soft smile.

Lunch sounded good to Toushirou. Maybe Kagome would be able to explain the feeling in his stomach. He was sure that his Lieutenant would mock him for not already knowing…

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AN: That one was…odd xD I had an idea in my head about how I wanted this one to go, and the beginning started out following it perfectly. Then about half-way through it took control all on its own and wrote itself! I had to bring the rating down on it, but I hope you liked it! Anyway, here's the list I'll be following:  
Urahara  
Grimmjow  
Hollow Ichigo  
Grimmjow  
Hisagi  
Gin  
Kenpachi  
Byakuya  
Ulquiorra  
Jin Kariya  
Zangetsu  
Ryuuken  
Gin  
Kenpachi  
Ulquiorra  
Chad  
Byakuya  
I'll be spending most of today writing, so maybe I can get several of these done! I hope everyone still likes the stories. Until next time!


	4. Familiar

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 4: Familiar  
Pairing: Kagome/Urahara  
Rating: T  
For: Sugar0o

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It was said that curiosity killed the cat…but then again he was no cat.

After deciding to form the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, there were quite a few mysteries about their world and abilities that he wanted to look into. But there was one thing in particular that he'd heard about and was dying to look into. Someone had once told him that the Fourth Division housed a particular soul of great power.

Apparently this soul had arrived in Soul Society a few centuries prior, but had been unconscious at the time and remained dormant ever since. From a file he had read, the soul was listed to be that of a young woman in her late teens.

Kisuke Urahara set about getting the proper clearance to have her transferred to his division with Captain Unohana's permission.

When he was finally able to see her with his own eyes the first thing he decided was that she was very pretty, but her facial features were far too stern and serious for someone so young. What could have caused her to be that way?

He was then able to feel the large amounts of power that seemed to radiate off of her. A mental note was made to have her area sealed and warded.

Once everything was set up, he conducted experiment after experiment until he was able to pinpoint that the power wasn't coming from her, but something that she possessed. It was currently in the form of a free-flowing energy that was within her yet still separate.

It was harnessing a small amount of this power that allowed him to create the Hogyoku.

Kisuke studied the girl from every angle and used everything at his disposal to attempt to unravel her mystery. But the simple truth remained that until she awoke, there was going to be much that he would never know.

After his arrest some years later, he requested that Yoruichi find a way to keep his vice-president, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, away from the girl's soul. There was still much to learn about her, but he wouldn't stand for her to be torn apart as Kurotsuchi was prone to do sometimes.

It was almost one hundred years after his escape from Soul Society that he heard through hear-say that a previously warded area had been discovered in the Twelfth Division labs, but any individual mentioned in the sealed records found was missing without a trace.

From time to time, Kisuke still wondered about the soul that disappeared. He would likely never know.

At least, that was what he thought until he was on his way home from the park one evening.

He was walking past a few small stores when he saw a young woman seated at an outdoor café enjoying what looked to be a light supper and a book. It took him a moment to remember where he knew her from, but he had to do a double-take when he finally did. Long black hair, pale glowing skin, defined facial features…and an unmistakable source of power. There were a few things that were off though. This girl's eyes were a bright blue while the girl he had studied he had found to have brown eyes. And this girl seemed much happier and more carefree. Could she be a reincarnation? It wasn't unheard of.

The more logical side of his mind told him to go on his way. This was a human girl who was likely to think him insane if he just started asking her random questions. He certainly didn't look like anyone in an official position to be claiming to do "research." But how long had it been since he listened to his logical side?

As he approached her he noticed that she seemed to sense him as well and looked away from her food and her book. This may go better than he had hoped.

"Hello miss, I'm not sure if we've met but you just seem so familiar to me," he tried. It was probably best to start with something vague.

Kisuke watched as she studied him for a moment with a confused look before she gave him an embarrassed smile and replied, "You seem very familiar too, but I'm positive that we've never met. I only moved to this town a few weeks ago."

Kagome saw him look at her for a moment before he smiled and asked if he could sit down at her table. He seemed to be a very happy and polite man as he began to strike up a conversation, but something inside told her that deep down she knew him. Or that she should know him at the very least. Her adventures were over now and she had moved to the town named Karakura to finish out high school.

This man seemed odd somehow, but it would be nice to have some friends in a new place. It also didn't hurt that this potential friend was handsome in a very mischievous kind of way.

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AN: I really like Urahara! I'll also probably end up doing a follow-up for this a little ways down the road, but for now I'm just going to leave it there :) The next one featuring Urahara will probably be M though since he is kinda pervy 3 Up next is Grimmjow, which I am also really looking forward to doing and should be out in a little while after I take a dinner break!


	5. Interruption

AN: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 5: Interruption  
Pairing: Kagome/Grimmjow  
Rating: T  
For: XxKagome no kawaiixX and ShadowFoxMoon

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Kagome bit her lip and silently prayed as she tried to lay the baby in her arms down as gently as she possibly could. The infant had been crying for the past several hours and had only just gone to sleep.

The college sophomore had taken a semester off to help one of her mother's close friends in the next town over. The woman was a new single mother as her husband had left her soon after the baby was born. Two days ago she'd been called away on a business trip and wouldn't be back for another week or so. This left Kagome alone in the house with the baby. A beautiful little boy who missed his mother _very_ much.

She sighed with a relieved smile when the baby boy was finally in his crib sound asleep. Now maybe she could finally get to bed as well…

That dream swiftly died as a large crash was heard outside with an impact great enough to rattle the pictures on the walls.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Kagome waited and hoped that it didn't wake the baby. A shrill scream echoed out of the room that she'd just left. Her luck had never been that good.

But as the pressure in the air quickly changed around her she had to try to catch her breath. There was big going on outside, and if it was dangerous she couldn't let anything happen to her tiny charge.

Searching the room for some blankets to pad the baby's crib, she grabbed his pacifier and pulled the crib into the hall so that it was away from any windows just in case they shattered. It would be safer to leave him in the house if she put a shield up than to take him outside with her.

She looked down at the sniffling infant and softly said, "You be good and I'll be back in a minute, okay?" Of course she didn't expect an answer, but when the baby stopped sniffling she smiled down at him and went to grab her shoes.

It was even a full minute later that she ran outside in nothing but her sleeping shorts, a matching tank top, and her running shoes. She threw up a protective barrier around the house and her already large eyes widened before her palm met her forehead. "You have got to be kidding me…" she grumbled before grabbing the nearest "weapon" she could find (which happened to be a shovel), opening the front gate to the yard, and marching a few houses down to where the commotion was just as there was another crash in the street.

=.=.=

Grimmjow had just caught Ichigo's sword with his bare hand and a smirk on his face. Was this really all that this kid could do? Even with Bankai?? It was almost laughable.

He was just about to throw the punk that thought that he could even play on the same level as him when something attacked him from his right. He tossed the carrot-top back a few meters so that he could find out what had hit him. But to his complete and utter surprise, there was a medium-sized, pink glowing rock lying near his feet along with several fragments of the mask that lined his jaw. "'The hell?" He questioned.

And he didn't have to wait long for the answer.

"Hey you!" An irate voice yelled from down the street. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a colicky infant to sleep?!"

Grimmjow turned to face his attacker with a scowl on his face which quickly turned into something akin to a cross between confusion, disbelief, and mild amusement. Standing in front of him was an obviously angry, undeniably beautiful, half-dressed young woman. She was marching towards him with a shovel slung over her shoulder, a glowing chunk of asphalt in her hand, and her inky hair blowing around her. She almost looked dangerous. _Almost._

The only thing keeping him from seeing her as even a mild threat were her pink shorts with little yellow bunnies on them and her yellow tank top with one large pink bunny in the center of her well endowed chest. Sure, that last rock had hurt like hell when it hit his face and cracked off part of his mask, but who could take some seriously when they were wearing pastel-colored bunnies??

He wasn't all too surprised that she could see them. He had heard that most of the people in this city were spiritually aware on some level or another and were used to odd things happening that they couldn't quite explain. But this girl seemed a little _too_ accepting of finding two oddly dressed men with swords pummeling each other in the middle of their neighborhood at strange hours of the night.

"Run back home unless you feel like dying, human," he dismissed easily before turning back to Ichigo. That was a mistake.

He'd barely taken a step towards his previous opponent when his head pitched forward due to the chunk of asphalt shattering against the back of his skull. Grimmjow reached a hand up to tenderly inspect the back of his head. When said hand drew back with sticky blood dampening his fingers, he quickly turned around to growl at the woman. "What the hell was that for?!"

At first she only glared at him, but soon she was walking up to him and stopped only inches from his face. "You listen to me, whoever you are! Don't you growl at me. I've had much bigger and scarier things than you try to kill me, so you don't scare me one bit! Now, you two are keeping the baby in that house from sleeping and by proxy are keeping me from sleeping. You will move this little spat of yours somewhere else far, far away or have to deal with me. Do you understand?"

Grimmjow was floored. Who did this little human think she was?? He was one of the espada! He should have been a deadly nightmare that could send any human running with just a look! Wait…was she counting?

"You have until I count to five to get out of here. One…Two…Three—"

That's it, he couldn't take it anymore. He liked to think that he was above hitting someone that much weaker than him, but this girl just wasn't getting the point. Maybe just one smack would get her to run home so he could finish off Ichigo in peace. He swiftly raised a hand and brought it down with the intention of backhanding her across the cheek, but he was surprised yet again that night when his hand collided with a pink barrier only inches away from her person.

"Bad choice, guy," she said before swinging her shovel which was now glowing like the two previous rocks. He could take swords and energy blasts without problem so he wasn't overly concerned about a shovel. But then again he should have learned to expect the unexpected where this woman was concerned.

Kagome had put all she had into that swing and when the flat metal of the shovel connected with his ribs, she had almost cringed herself at the sound of something cracking before this blue-haired, blue-eyed man doubled over in surprise and pain. She had been livid up until that point. With all the fighting and noise and then the way he had just dismissed her and then tried to hit her…who could blame her? But maybe she had gone a little far with the shovel.

She hated to see anyone in pain, and it almost made her physically ill knowing that she had caused this person's pain. He seemed to be recovering from the blow now and was glaring at her. She bit her lip nervously as she looked back at him slightly ashamed for her behavior.

Grimmjow had intended to rip into the girl as soon as he could breathe again, but found himself confused…again. The woman standing in front of him almost looked sad. Who in the hell felt bad after getting angry and hitting someone?! "What is wrong with you?!" He yelled at her as he stood up straight and loomed over her in a move meant to intimidate.

He was yelling at her again. Okay, maybe she didn't feel so bad for hitting him anymore. "What do you mean?? There's nothing wrong with me. You're just being an idiot! Maybe now you'll take the hint and leave, huh?" She retorted.

Grimmjow growled deep in his throat. This woman was infuriating! Standing there in front of him without any fear in her stance, blue eyes hard and sparking with an internal fire, her face consumed with an angry and frustrated flush that traveled down her neck and to the tops of her breasts…which were currently heaving up and down, he noticed, as she attempted to keep her temper under control with deep breaths.

He could feel his ire and frustration building. He was pissed that his fight with the shinigami had been sufficiently interrupted, irritated that this woman thought that she could ever truly stand up to him, and frustrated that he could feel a fire building deep inside himself that he was sure didn't have anything to do with his fight. It started as a small twitch in his lower stomach, but soon those internal flames were consuming and he found himself doing something that he had otherwise never dreamed of.

He reached out in the blink of an eye to the woman standing no more a foot away from him and pulled her to him. Without thinking about what he was really doing, he crashed his mouth down on top of this infuriating woman's and felt those flames roar into an inferno. There was something about this woman that easily set his blood to boiling. At first she struggled and resisted, but as he refused to let her go or back down she slowly started to respond in a way that told him she was releasing her frustrations onto him as well.

His teeth bit down on her lower lip just enough to elicit a startled gasp and used that chance to invade her hot mouth and assert his male dominance over her much smaller form. But he was surprisingly glad when she fought him for it. This wasn't the kind of female to just back down and submit, and he had to admit that he liked that fire in her.

He had one hand fisted in her obsidian hair while the other arm was wrapped firmly around her small waist holding her close to him. He smirked slightly when he felt her hands move from pushing against his chest to tangling in his aqua-colored hair, tugging lightly when the kiss would become a little too fierce for her liking.

Both of their minds were fogged over with a thick haze as they were both swept up in the moment and what their bodies were telling them felt so good…maybe not right, but definitely good.

The moment was broken until another harsh blow landed on the back of Grimmjow's head. The blow had caused his face to smack into Kagome's painfully and they instantly drew apart gasping for breath before Grimmjow looked behind him growling viciously. The beast deep within him was demanding for the blood of whoever had interrupted them.

He saw Ichigo standing there, still scuffed up from the beginning of their fight and obviously ready to continue after being so rudely ignored. "Quit making out with some random chick! We have something to finish."

Grimmjow glanced over his shoulder at the woman he had just been entangled with only to see her roll her eyes and begin walking away as she threw a wave over her shoulder and called out, "Just do it somewhere far enough away that I don't have to hear you. Thanks!"

Grimmjow turned back to Ichigo and prepared to charge the youth. Now he had something else charging his want to pulverize the boy.

Kagome just walked back down to the house she was currently living in and laughed as she rubbed her sore face when she heard the two take off to a different part of the town. Maybe staying in this time wouldn't be as boring as she originally thought. This town seemed particularly lively and interesting. _'Maybe I'll talk to Mama about moving here permanently,'_ she thought as she reentered the house and prepared her young charge for bed once again.

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AN: That was a little random xD But I like it! I think I'm going to double some of the requests for now to get all of the pairings wanted out of the way :) I'm sure I'll do repeats of pairings, but for now I want to get at least one for everybody out there :D Let's see…up next will be Hollow Ichigo! Also, sorry this was late. My boyfriend called about mid-chapter the other night and completely distracted me xD


	6. King and Queen

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 6: King and Queen  
Pairing: Kagome/Hollow Ichigo  
Rating: T  
For: Minogaki TenTen and Nasuki- formally Orihime Girl

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Kagome was cleaning the shrine's storage room—one of the many duties she'd inherited from her grandfather when she had taken over the shrine—when she heard a thud come from outside. The sun was already setting and the shrine grounds had been closed to visitors for the day. But there really wasn't any reason for her to get too worked up about it. She was in her time now and it was surely much safer than it was five hundred years ago.

Setting aside the box that she had been dusting off, Kagome made her way outside. At first she didn't see anything, but as she rounded the corner of one of the many small buildings a gasp escaped her and she darted forward to the prone form of a young man. She kneeled down beside him as soon as she reached him and looked him over for any injuries.

He looked badly beaten and was bleeding from a few scrapes, but other than being unconscious he looked like he would be fine. He was dressed oddly in a black haori and black hakamas and had a large black sword that reminded her vaguely of Tetsusaiga. His soul felt a little weird, but she didn't feel anything threatening to her right now so she decided to ignore it until he awoke. But there was one thing that drew her attention over and over as she surveyed him. It was his bright orange hair that stuck up in all directions.

Kagome was just about to go retrieve her first aid kit when something caught her eye. In the boy's hair there were white fragments of…something. She reached down to pick out a piece for further examination, but when her fingertips made contact with the substance she felt the jewel around her neck pulse before everything went black.

=.=.=.=

Waking up was one of the strangest experiences that Kagome had ever had, and that was really saying something. She definitely wasn't on her shrine grounds anymore. Instead she found herself lying on what felt like a large piece of glass, and she was staring up at the sky. It was a beautiful nightscape; it looked like someone had stuck millions of diamonds in pitch. The moon was large and full and illuminated her surroundings nicely.

Sitting up cautiously, she looked around and noticed that she seemed to be on the side of a tall building. The ground looked like it was a few hundred feet in front of her. This gave her a massive wave of vertigo and she had to lie back down for a moment. _'Did I hit my head??'_ She thought for a moment as she tried to figure out where she was. _'What in the world happened?'_ Everything was a blur. She had been at the shrine in the early evening when a boy had seemingly fallen onto the grounds out of thin air. If she hadn't seen all that she had when she was younger, she would have sworn that she was crazy. But at this point she didn't think that anything was out of the realm of possibility.

She tried again to sit up and then stand while struggling to keep balance in the disorienting world. Surely there had to be a way out or another person around somewhere who could explain things to her.

Kagome looked around and realized that she was more-or-less trapped. The building that she stood on was completely level. At one end there was a vertical street that she obviously wouldn't be able to walk on, and at the other end was nothing but sky due to the building ending. The spaces on either of the sides between the other buildings were too far for her to jump. What was a girl to do?

She was still looking around for anything that could help her or give her a clue as to where she was when she caught a shadow out of the corner of her eye. Turning quickly, she was greeted with empty space. It _was_ nighttime. Maybe she was just seeing something. A cloud passing in front of the moon perhaps?

Returning to what her search, she was startled when she saw another shadow move quickly to her right. Her heart was starting to beat faster now as she found nothing but emptiness again. She was in a strange environment, unarmed, at night, and secluded to a large but limited space. Things were not looking good for her if she were to be attacked. She placed a hand at the base of her throat and was relieved to still feel the jewel, but when she tried to call any of her purifying powers to her hands nothing happened.

Kagome almost screamed when another shadow darted over her this time. But unlike the times before, when she turned to face where her supposed attacker should be, he was actually there. It was a boy in his late teens, maybe a year or two younger than herself, but definitely taller. He was leaning in a nonchalant manner against a vertical pole which would normally be horizontal and sporting a flag of some sort.

He looked almost exactly like the boy she'd found injured at the shrine, except that his colors were completely inverted. His hair, skin, and clothes were a stark white that reflected the light of the moon almost causing him to glow. His stance spoke of someone laid back and possibly friendly. She probably would have bought into that too if it wasn't for the expression he wore on his face. It spoke of sadistic urges and screamed that this was someone to be wary of.

"Well what do we have here?" His sharp, echoing voice sent a chill down her spine and made her muscles tense in anticipation of possible danger. "It's not often that someone comes to see me. I usually have to come to them. Of course," he paused as he pushed off of his pole and appeared in front of Kagome in an instant. "They never are very happy to see me." The smile that accompanied the last sentence was more of a twisted smirk as his eerie black and yellow eyes sparked with something that she couldn't identify.

"Where am I?" Kagome questioned in the steadiest voice that she could muster as she tried to stand strong in front of this man.

The unnamed man chuckled darkly as he began to circle her with an appraising look. "Look at you, asking questions before even introducing yourself. How rude…"

Kagome swallowed thickly before taking his bait. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. And you are?"

He laughed at her again. "I have no name, girl," he answered with another one of his twisted smiles.

"Now who's being rude?" She mumbled. But she quickly cursed her mouth and having to have the last word when she felt something suddenly binding her arms behind her. She stumbled forward with a start and turned as much as she was allowed to see that her arms were bound by a long, black piece of cloth that was attached to the hilt of a giant sword wedged vertically between one of the windows and the steel of the building.

She was now not only trapped on a building, but tethered to a sword. Anger was starting to override her fear. "Where am I?!" She demanded again.

"You are in the inner-world of my king, fair lady," he mocked her with a deep bow. "But it won't be his for long. One day I'll take complete control and become the king," he explained even though Kagome only thought that he was crazy. He drew closer and closer to her as she backed further and further away until her back was eventually flush with the massive sword she was attached to. "And every king needs a queen." His echoing voice deepened as he reached up to run the backs of his fingers across her cheek.

She shivered as his chilled hand caressed her skin but left heated and sensitized trails.

Kagome could move. She could barely breathe as the same pale hand trailed across her jaw, down her neck, and stopped beneath the jewel. "With your power I could take control tonight. What do you say? Would you like to be the queen and watch me conquer all the worlds?" His face was dangerously close to hers now and Kagome briefly wondered if she would faint and be released from this world.

This man wasn't someone to be cautious or wary of…he was someone to be feared. She could tell that for all of his big talk and high ambitions, if he was ever released from wherever they were, he would have the strength to back it up.

Being this close to him was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. Adrenaline coursed through her veins giving her a light-headed feeling as his fingers continued to trace along her neck and collar. Her breath began to come quicker when she felt his warm breath on her ear. "This is a lonely world. The only interaction I get here is with the idiot king and the old man. I've always wondered what the company of a woman would be like."

She could practically hear the smirk on his lips as he continued, but as her mind began to get lost in his voice and actions she couldn't bring herself to care.

His hand began to trail lower, slowly parting the top of her priestess robes so that he could stroke the smooth skin that made up the swell of her breast. She had to stifle a soft moan as his knee parted her legs and applied a delightful pressure on her center. She closed her eyes as his now husky voice continued to echo in her ear while his breath teased her neck. "So what do you say? You can either be the queen by my side now or die by my sword when I free myself later. Together, we could watch the world burn."

Kagome had been seconds from falling completely under his spell and giving in, but it was the last thing he said that ripped her out of her haze and brought her back into the moment. If she helped to unleash this person and granted him the power than he wanted, she would more than likely have a more violent repeat of Naraku on her hands. And she would never allow an evil like that to roam the earth again.

Using the sword as leverage, Kagome wedged her knee in between their bodies and pushed him away before trying to kick at him again but missing. "No!" She screamed at him. "If I have anything to say about it, you'll stay here until you die!" She tried to sound as firm on this point as possible but knew that she probably didn't look the part. She was still trying to even out her breathing and she was almost positive that her face held a heavy blush. Hopefully he wouldn't be able to tell much in the dark of night that still surrounded them.

She had expected him to be angry or disappointed or persistent, but she hadn't expected him to start laughing at her. "Well, damn! And I was _that_ close too." That damned smirk was back. He glanced up at the sky above them which was beginning to lighten quickly. "It looks like the current king is waking up. That shop owner probably came to get him." He turned back to Kagome and called his sword back to him. "That means it's time for you to go. But don't worry, I'll find you once I take reign," his words and the world faded until Kagome was left in darkness once again.

=.=.=.=

When Kagome awoke yet again, she was on her living room couch. There was a note on her coffee table from a man named Urahara. In the note he apologized for any trouble that may have been caused and left a number for her to call if she had any questions.

Kagome simply threw the note away wishing to forget everything that had happened in that strange world. She reprimanded herself for ever considering what the sadistic man had offered and repeatedly told herself how evil he must have been and that she was glad that she would never have to see him again.

She told herself that he hadn't had any real effect on her and it must have all just been some sort of trick; dark magic or a spell. But no matter what she told herself during her waking hours, it didn't stop the dreams she had of piercing yellow eyes.

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AN: I honestly couldn't think of any way to go but "dark" for Hollow Ichigo! Considering we had funny with Grimmjow in the last chapter, I think that it's fine ^_^ I hope parts of this chapter weren't too much like the last one! Can you tell I'm steadily working up to doing something lemon/limey?? x3 I've never written a full lemon before, so we'll see how that goes. Let's see…up next is Hisagi! I already have the next four planned out in my head so they shouldn't take too long :) I hope you guys are still enjoying everything! Let me know what you think and/or would like to see :D See you guys later!


	7. Scars

AN: Sorry this took so long to get up guys! My laptop got infected with a virus (twice!) and afterwards I just had a really hard time trying to get back into writing again D: But I'm back at it, so you can all relax ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 7: Scars  
Pairing: Kagome/Hisagi  
Rating: T  
For: ShadowFoxMoon

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All work and no play makes Shuuhei Hisagi a dull boy. And with all of the work that he had been putting in within his division, Hisagi felt very dull indeed. He'd been working himself to the bone for the past several months keeping up with the paperwork and responsibility that came with leading his division until a new permanent Captain was found. But for tonight he was ditching work and going out to one of his old haunts from before everything went to hell.

There was this one bar in the Rukongai that he used to drag Kira to, but tonight he was going it alone. Kira was just as busy taking on temporary leadership of his own division, and he doubted that the blonde would have agreed to come out with him even if he had asked.

When he arrived at the building he stood outside for a moment and simply took in the atmosphere. The doors were left wide open and the noise from inside filtered out into the dark streets. Light shone from the doorways and open windows and inside he could see all of the people. It was one of the more popular establishments in this sector of the Rukongai and there were always people inside laughing, talking, sometimes arguing, and always having fun. He could smell the aroma of food and alcohol and allowed a grin to play on his lips.

He had missed this place.

When Hisagi walked inside, he looked around and was pleased to see that his usual spot, a small table with three chairs in the corner by the bar itself, was open. He walked over and took a seat while thinking over what he would order since he was alone. There was a little extra cash in his wallet for once, maybe he would order something to eat with his sake; he hadn't eaten today and the thought of a meal made his mouth water.

He was just about to flag down one of the waitresses when he heard the bartender shout out, "Kagome! Shinigami at table nine!" He wasn't very fond of being announced like that. While many in Rukongai respected and admired those in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, there were almost just as many that resented them and often liked to pick fights when they found division members alone.

But his annoyance disappeared as soon as he saw his waitress making her way towards him. Hisagi smirked. He remembered her. Kagome had been working at this particular bar for a while and she almost always took his orders when he came in.

He admired her as she made her way over with a bright smile on her face. She was dressed in a short, honeydew-green kimono decorated with white flowers and a soft-pink obi. He remembered when this particular kimono was new. She'd showed it off to him and Kira, and she had been so excited about the new piece of clothing and the compliments that she'd received on it. He hadn't been surprised that she'd been complimented on it. The soft color made her skin seem to give off a healthy glow while it contrasted well with her ebony hair. The more perverted part of his brain added in that it also showed off her small waist and left just enough to the imagination where her hips and chest were concerned.

He took notice of the geta sandals that donned her feet and followed the lines of her long legs that seemed to stretch on forever all the way up to the hem of the kimono he'd already admired. Before she reached his table, his eyes finally settled on her face. The ever-present smile she always seemed to have was firmly in place while her sapphire eyes sparkled in excitement as she saw who her newest customer for the evening was.

"Shuuhei!" She cried. "It seems like it's been forever since you've been down here to see me. Where have you been? And where's Kira? Did you decide to come all alone tonight?" He almost laughed; Kagome had always been chatty ever since they had met.

"Things in the court have been crazy since everything went down a few months ago. But I couldn't take being in the offices anymore and decided to play hooky from paperwork until the morning. Kira and I have both taken over our divisions until new Captains can be found and he's been really dedicated to it. I didn't want to bother him. How have you been?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder to make sure that her boss wasn't watching her before taking the seat across from Hisagi for a moment. "I've been good. Things don't change much around here, you know? I work, eat, sleep, play with the local children when I have the time, help the sick…same old same old."

Hisagi chuckled before leaning back in his chair and shaking his head. "Yeah, same old Saint Kagome."

Kagome reached across the table to smack him on the arm with her notepad and was about to get onto him for calling her that when a drunken slur was called out from across the room. "Hey, sweet-thing! Me an' m'buddies need s'more booze! Where'd ya go?!"

Kagome sighed while rolling her eyes before saying, "See? Same old drunks, same old cat-calls. Do you know what you want? I can go ahead and take your order and get it in before taking care of those guys."

"Sure; I'm going to have a bottle of sake with some yakitori. Thanks, Kagome," he said with a grin as she wrote down his order.

"No problem," she returned before blushing as their eyes met. "I'll put this in for you and be back with your sake in a minute." And with that she scampered back to the kitchen faster than usual.

When she came back out his eyes followed her as she went behind the bar to grab one of the small bottles of sake and a cup for him before depositing them on the table with a quick smile. She then went back to the bar and grabbed one of the sake jugs so that she could refill the glasses of the rowdier customers who had called out to her earlier.

He watched her closely as she neared the table of drunken men. After getting to know Kagome over time, Hisagi had come to the conclusion that she wasn't really suited for working in a bar like this. She was wonderful with people and the customers, but she sometimes had trouble telling people 'no' when they started acting out. She had tried to explain once that she didn't want to offend the customers and she could forgive them for being obnoxious because they had often been drinking and probably weren't themselves.

Hisagi didn't completely buy that, of course. He knew that alcohol lifted the inhibitors that kept people from making asses of themselves; they did things that they would normally still want to do, but simply refrained from doing due to rules or decency.

He was still sipping on his first cup of sake when he heard a sharp gasp before the sound of something breaking quieted the room. His head immediately snapped up to see Kagome struggling against one of the men whose glasses she had been refilling. The large man had pulled Kagome down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her so that her arms were pinned at her sides. Currently, she was kicking and demanding to be let go.

"Stay with us," the man tried to persuade her and Hisagi's eyes narrowed when he saw Kagome turn her face away with a grimace at the smell of the man's breath.

"Please let go. There are still other customers who I need to take care of," she tried to reason as she glanced over to where Hisagi sat. "Besides, if you don't let me go who will bring you more sake?"

The man laughed and showed no signs of letting her go anytime soon. "I think we'd rather have you than the booze, right guys?" He leered as a chorus of agreements answered him.

Hisagi sighed as he placed his cup on the table. And tonight was supposed to be his night to relax, too…

Kagome strained against the much larger man's hold as she closed her eyes and shuddered in disgust as the feeling of something in the man's lap poking her lower hip. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she felt the other men at the table join in on their friend's fun. There was a rough hand stroking her leg while another tugged on her obi from behind.

Just as she was about to call out for help from anyone else in the room, she heard a deep voice speak up from in front of her. "You heard her. Let her go."

Kagome looked up with watery eyes to see Hisagi glaring at the men around her. She knew that he was usually very calm and composed, but right now he looked angry and she was glad that it wasn't directed at her.

The man that was still holding her spoke up, "We're just having some fun, but you're not invited to this party so get lost. We ain't Hollows or criminals, so there's not a damn thing you can do, Mr. Shinigami." Kagome flinched at the bite that the man's tone held. This probably wouldn't end well.

Hisagi stiffened before breathing in and out to calm his temper. He couldn't draw his sword in a place like this and he wouldn't risk hurting Kagome. "My job is to keep the peace in Soul Society. You happen to be disturbing that peace right now. I'm going to have to ask you and your friends to leave. If you don't then I'll be forced to make you."

This seemed to anger the man holding Kagome because he stood and roughly shoved Kagome into the grasp of one of his friends. He was several inches taller than Hisagi and much more bulky in build. "Yeah? Let's see what you got, little man," he threatened.

Hisagi waited patiently for the man's first attack because it was only a matter of time. When the attack came, it was an attempted right-hook. Being used to dealing with attacks much faster than this, Hisagi easily dodged the fist only to grab it and pull the arm behind its owner at a painful angle. He used this control to guide the man over to the door where he proceeded to place his foot on the man's back and give him a firm push into the street.

The large man stumbled for a moment before whirling around and making an attempt to come back inside. But before he could get within ten feet of the doorway, Hisagi mumbled "Bakudou One" before turning back to the rest of the rowdy bunch knowing that the one in the street wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"So," Hisagi began, "is there anyone else who wants to cause trouble, or are you all going to go home peacefully for the night?"

The remaining men glanced at each other before glaring back at Hisagi. Five of the six remaining rushed at him, shoving Kagome to the floor and out of the way. He dealt with these men much like he had dealt with the first; efficiently and with little actual violence.

Kagome watched in awe as her friend made subduing the group seem so easy. She had seen Inuyasha and her other friends fight, but it was usually more violent. This was different. She could tell that none of Hisagi's attackers were getting hurt, merely redirected—usually out the door.

Then, as Hisagi was dealing with the remaining three, she saw the sixth forgotten man pick up a small sake bottle off of a nearby table and bring his arm back for the pitch. Her eyes widened and she shouted, "Look out!"

Hisagi turned his head just in time for the bottle to catch him on the left side of his forehead.

Kagome heard him curse before angering some and dealing with the remaining men, the sixth included, in a slightly rougher fashion. He stepped outside to make sure that they were leaving and came back in once he saw that they were limping their ways down the street.

Hisagi closed his right eye as blood and alcohol trickled down his face. He saw Kagome getting off of the ground and walked over to make sure that she was alright. But before he could even say anything, she was fussing over his face.

"Oh my gosh! Shuuhei! Your face…are you alright?? Here, let me see," she said a she pushed his black hair out of the way to get a better look.

He watched out of his right eye as Kagome stood on her tip-toes to see the wound to his head. He knew that it wasn't that bad. He wasn't dizzy or nauseous and was completely coherent, so the chances that he had a concussion were slim to none. But while he knew that he was fine, he didn't feel the need to stop Kagome's attentions.

It wasn't any secret to him that he was attracted to the small woman. She was beautiful and kind, and he was a young, healthy, straight male. Honestly, he'd question himself if he wasn't attracted to her.

"It doesn't look like that's going to stop bleeding anytime soon," she said bringing him out of his musings. "Come on, I'm going to help you take care of that." She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the kitchen. "Yumi, I'm going to need you to close out my tables for the night, please?" She asked one of the waitresses in the kitchen who nodded with a sly smile as she caught sight of Hisagi. "And Akito, is that yakitori I asked for earlier ready?"

"Yeah, Kagome. It's sitting on the pickup counter," the cook answered.

"Great," she answered with a smile. "Thanks, it was his so I'm going to take it up with me while I take care of his head." With that she grabbed the plate of skewered chicken and started up a flight of stairs at the back of the kitchen.

Hisagi knew that she rented a room above the bar that she worked at, but he had never seen it. The thought made him a little nervous.

When they made it into her small home, she place his food down on a table before going to light some candles and open the windows so that the moonlight could help illuminate the room. When she turned back to him with a smile, he had to concentrate so as not to let his jaw hit the floor. Surrounded by the soft light of the candles and the moon, she looked…he couldn't even think of a word to describe it; beautiful wouldn't have done her justice.

The moonlight made her dark hair and pale skin seem to glow while the candlelight made her entire body look warm and inviting. Then he realized that this was _Kagome_. He had known her for some time now, but he had never imagined that she could look so breathtaking.

"Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to come sit down so that I can take a look at you?" She teased while pointing to the edge of her futon.

Without saying a work, Hisagi made his way over and sat down where she had designated. He watched as she made her way over to a basin to grab a rag before wetting it and wringing it out. Filling a small bowl with some water, she made her way back to sit next to him.

"Does it hurt?" She asked.

"What do you think?" He retorted with a hiss of pain as she began dabbing the rag over the gash the bottle had left.

He looked at her strangely when she giggled before wetting the rag again. "Well all of you shinigami act so tough, I didn't know a little thing like this would bother you. Who knew you were all such big babies at heart?"

Hisagi was about to lecture her until he caught the look in her eyes. They were sparkling with a rare mischievousness and something else he couldn't quite identify. This was a side of Kagome that he had never really seen. He usually only saw her when she was waitressing, so this was a new environment. The dynamic had changed and he was unsure on how to proceed. He finally decided to wing it and see how things went.

"Yeah, good thing Hollows aren't smart enough to throw sake bottles at us in battle. We'd be in trouble then," he joked awkwardly. But Kagome laughed and he couldn't help but smile at the sound and the feeling of knowing that he'd caused it.

Kagome continued to clean the blood off of his face and out of his hair while Hisagi simply watched her. Her slender hands were soft and gentle and he almost fell asleep until a soft pink light filled one eye. He immediately snapped to attention only to hear Kagome say, "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. This is a much quicker and less painful option to stitches."

Settling down, Hisagi looked as far to his left as he was able. She had her right hand positioned over his wound while her left hand held his chin to keep his head steady. But her hand was _glowing_! What was she doing? Was it a form of kidou? Who had taught it to her?

But his questions steadily died down as warmth filled him. His entire being felt at peace and very relaxed, but as quickly as the feeling had taken over, it disappeared.

"How does that feel? It might still be a little tender, but it shouldn't scar or anything," she said while biting her lip and glancing at the right side of this face where he knew the three vertical scars to be.

But he shrugged off her concern about it and said, "It feels fine. What's another scar anyway? What I want to know is what that was."

"Oh that?" She asked while scratching the back of her head with an embarrassed smile. "That's just a little residual power from when I was alive. It became easier to control after I died though. Funny, huh?"

"So nobody here has trained you or taught you how to do that?" He questioned further.

She shook her head. "No, it just started coming to me more naturally than when I was alive. All I really have to do now is think about what I want to do and it does it."

Hisagi looked at her with bewilderment. "Then why haven't you tried to join the academy? You could become a shinigami. The pay is good and you could get out of this place; quit living in the attic above a bar."

The more Kagome thought about it, the way he put it did make it sound better than what she had now, but she knew that it wasn't something easy. "Shuuhei…I understand where you're coming from. But I like it here. I spent my life fighting and running and chasing and I'm tired. Now I just want to be around people and laugh and live. Maybe even someday I'll find love again and I'll settle down to have a family. But for now this is perfect."

Hisagi was surprised by what she had said. To his knowledge she hadn't died all that long ago. Was the living world really still so dangerous? From what he had seen recently things looked fairly peaceful for the normal humans who weren't involved with spirits and the like. But that was a question for another time.

He was about to ask again why she would want to stay in the Rukongai when he noticed that she was still staring at his scars with a thoughtful expression. It made him feel a little self-conscious and he made to turn that side of his face away from her when her hand shot out to capture his chin. "No!" She cried without thinking and was obviously embarrassed by the outburst when a hand flew to her mouth and her cheeks went red. "I…I mean…umm……crap."

Hisagi almost laughed at how flustered she was becoming and decided to tease her a little. "What is it, Kagome? Do you like my scars? I know girls think they're cool, but try to contain yourself."

Kagome gaped at him before blushing even darker and giving his shoulder a shove. "I was just wondering!"

Now he was curious. "Wondering what?" He asked.

"Well," she started as she avoided eye contact. "Stuff like how you got them, if they hurt…if I could touch them…" she listed while mumbling the last part.

Hisagi almost laughed, but seeing how much Kagome was blushing he decided to give her a break. "Knock yourself out," he said leaning back slightly.

He watched as she stared at him for a moment before biting her lip and lifting a hand to inch towards his face. Soft fingertips met his skin as she began to trace the lines that had become one of his more defining features. He was beginning to relax under her touch when she spoke.

"You didn't answer my other questions…" Her voice was soft and slightly distant as though she were thinking to herself much more than speaking to him.

Thinking back to what she had asked, he answered, "I got them when I was still in the academy; we were on a training exercise to the living world but things went bad. And they don't really hurt, but sometimes they're sensitive to heat and cold."

"I have one like that!" Kagome announced unexpectedly. "It was sensitive for the longest time, but now it's just with temperatures."

Hisagi frowned. The idea of something harming Kagome enough to leave a scar didn't sit well with him. "What kind of scar?" He asked cautiously despite the fact that she seemed comfortable with the subject.

"When I was alive I was attacked by this big centipede demon! She bit into my side while she was trying to get something, and when it healed there was this big scar. Do you want to see?" She asked with large eyes.

Before he could even answer she was pulling up the hem of her kimono to expose her hip to him. He was going to protest until he saw the scar that she was talking about and all of his attention was drawn to it instead. It was large and rough around the edges. A heavy weight settled in his stomach as anger filled him. "Kagome…was this what killed you?" The question left a bad taste in his mouth, but part of him simply needed to know.

Kagome watched him for a minute as he looked at the scar warningly as though it were going to bite her. "No, not by a long shot. This was actually my first scar."

Hisagi looked shocked for a brief moment but didn't say anything. Slowly, he reached out a hand and brushed his fingers against the scar tissue. It was tighter and didn't seem as smooth as the surrounding skin. The pinkish area stood out greatly in the dimly lit room probably making it much more prominent than it actually was.

His fingers continued to explore the area, much like she had done with his face. The higher on the mark he went, the more she would giggle. She seemed to fidget more the closer he would go to her him. But he found he liked it best when he would feel the soft shudder she gave as he moved towards her back.

He knew better than anyone that a person's scars weren't an imperfection or defect; they were visual memories. Every scar had a story and a memory to accompany it. And as Hisagi's fingers continued to trace the almost jagged outline, Kagome's last words sank in a little more.

Looking at her he questioned, "This was your _first_ scar?"

Nodding with a light blush, Kagome chirped, "That's right. I have several more though. Would you want to see those too?"

Her question had been completely innocent in and of itself, but all Hisagi could think about at the moment was getting the opportunity to explore Kagome's memories (and body) at the same time. As he nodded in answer to her question, he briefly wondered just how many scars she had.

Part of him hoped that it was enough to keep him there for the rest of the night.

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AN: Okay…wow. Longest one yet! This took on a complete mind of its own. I didn't really plan on it being this long! I like it alright though ^_^ What do you guys think?? Time to consult the handy-dandy list of who's up next in out line-up! –rummages around room while muttering about disorganization- Ah-ha! And next up we have: Gin! Until then, my lovelies! ;)


	8. Almost Lover

AN: Time for some pimping: I'm doing some beta-reading for _Sable Scribe_. She's got some really good and interesting stories started, so go check her out! ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 8: Almost Lover (Yes, like the song.)  
Pairing: Kagome/Gin  
Rating: M (my first attempt at a lemon ever x3 yep…full-blown lemony goodness ahead!)  
For: Shiori Yume, Slypy, and kamichama12

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Kagome walked silently down the Third Division corridor, all the while glancing over her shoulder to make sure that anyone on patrol duty didn't spot her. This was something that she'd grown accustomed to over the past couple of years.

After being sent to Soul Society upon her death, Kagome had learned of the Shinigami Academy and promptly decided to give her afterlife meaning. She had learned quickly and passed all of her classes with flying colors. Then the Fourth Division had welcomed her with open arms and it was there that she had met _him_.

From the very moment that she laid eyes on him she had been drawn in. It was like a spell had been cast over her entire being. She had been carrying some old medical charts to be filed away when a flash of white had caught her eye from down the hall. His gait was relaxed but confident as a sleeveless white Captain's haori fluttered behind him. White hair framed a pale, smiling face. That smile…

Kagome was pulled from her thoughts as she arrived at her destination; the door to the Third Division's Captain's Quarters. She didn't want to bother him this late at night, especially with everything that had happened in the last couple of days, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming. She'd been having dreams for a while now where she was left completely alone, and she wanted his company for at least the night.

Her knuckles were inches away from gently rapping on his door when a hand reached over her shoulder and grabbed her wrist while another slender finger pressed to her lips. She was startled at first, but instantly melted back into a lean chest when his presence began to wrap around her. Lidded and slightly glazed eyes drifted to the hand still holding her wrist. The hand was much larger than hers, but the fingers were long and thin while the pale skin covering them seemed to glow in the moonlight streaming in through the hallway windows.

"Why're you here, Kagome?" A smooth voice asked. "You should know that these are dangerous times t'be sneaking around alone at night."

As Kagome turned around to face her captor, she saw that fake smile that he gave everyone else fade into something softer. As the tall Captain's red eyes opened a little more, his smile faded into a small grin, but it was real. These were the only times that she ever saw him allow his real emotions to play on his face—the times that they were together.

"Gin," she breathed softly as she moved to embrace him. She knew what some of the others said about him. She knew what they thought. "_He can't be trusted,"_ She would hear them whisper. But she knew better. None of them knew him like she did.

But it was because of what the others said that he had insisted that they keep their relationship a secret. He said that he never wanted her to become a victim of gossip or suspect.

It was hard to say what had drawn the two to each other, but it had taken both by surprise. They couldn't be seen in public together and their moments in private were often short-lived, but their souls quieted in the other's presence and both felt loved. It would have been hard to explain, but luckily neither ever had cause to.

Gin stroked the small woman's hair tenderly before sliding the door to his room open and ushering her inside. He placed his sword on a nearby table and turned to his secret lover. "You shouldn't be alone when we have dangerous intruders," he reprimanded softly. He had never planned on being in a relationship like this when Aizen's plans started coming to their first head. But Kagome was part of his life now and he wouldn't allow her to be harmed.

"Gin…something bad is coming. I can feel it," she said as she placed a hand over her heart for emphasis.

"And you will rise t'meet it as always," he reassured. He wasn't going to tell her that when that time came it was likely that she would have to raise her sword to him.

"But—" she started only to be cut off.

"You can't change whatever's gonna happen," he told her.

Kagome was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "But my dreams," she spoke softly. "What if what's happening takes you away?"

Her words caught him off guard. He didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth either. Releasing a sigh he told her, "Then we'll have to make what we have now count."

When he didn't immediately reassure her that everything was going to be okay, tears began to gather in the corners of Kagome's eyes. Her stomach twisted and her heart ached at the thought of losing him. But she was brought back to the moment when calloused fingers brushed the moisture away from her eyes and warm lips met hers.

She automatically wrapped her arms around his neck and poured everything that she was feeling into their kiss; fear, longing, desperation, and love.

Gin led them back to his bed and sat down, pulling Kagome into his lap. With his left hand on her back, he brought his right up to rake through her thick hair that was such a contrast to his own white locks. When he felt his and graze the neck of her shinigami uniform he pulled his fingers from the dark mass and ghosted his fingertips across the skin of her throat. He smirked against her mouth when he felt her shudder lightly.

Prompting her to tilt her head back, he allowed his lips to follow the trails that his fingers had previously laid out and was rewarded with hearing her moan his name softly.

In a bolder move, he lifted his left hand to join the right and pushed the regulation haori from her shoulders as his lips moved on to nibble at her collarbone. Small hands came up to tangle in his hair and he felt her kiss his forehead. The act caused him to raise his head and catch her gaze. Hazy blue eyes looked at him with such love and faith that it made his throat tighten with a sick feeling settling in his stomach.

Could he really leave her now?

Or the more important question: could he really betray Aizen?

Gin sighed as he buried his face against the soft skin between her neck and shoulder.

Kagome felt her lover's hands trail down from her shoulders to rest around her waist. "Gin?" She questioned softly.

"I can't…" He mumbled to himself leaving Kagome thoroughly confused.

"What are you talking about? Are you feeling alright?" Concern laced her voice making him feel all the worse.

"You should go back to your room for the night," he answered lifting his face and bringing a hand to stroke her cheek.

Kagome's eyes hardened momentarily. "No. I don't want to be alone tonight," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. "I'm afraid that if I'm not with you, you won't be there anymore once I wake up." She knew it was a little selfish, but she'd been left too many times when she was alive.

Gin could feel Kagome's fears and insecurities in the way she clung to him, her fingers twisting in his clothes and her arms anchoring themselves around his neck. Sighing once more, he pulled her away from him and began kissing her once more as he pushed her to her back. His hair grazed her forehead when he broke their kiss. "Okay," he said with a small, sad grin. He never could tell her 'no.'

His attentions returned to her neck as his hands roamed the flesh left bare from his earlier actions. Smooth skin covered lean muscle on most of her body, but he adored the softness of her curves. Long fingers brushed against the soft fabric covering her breasts and deftly unlatched the small hooks keeping the bra in place. Urging her to pull her arms free, the small article of clothing was tossed to another part of the room.

He sat back to admire his work so far; her skin had been tinted pink as her body became hot also causing her chest to heave slightly with small pants. Glossy eyes stared back at him pleadingly to continue and he could feel the predator in him start to emerge.

Gin quickly shrugged out of his Captain's haori and it was quickly discarded in the floor followed by the top half of his uniform. He smirked as his ego soared when delicate hands reached out to touch him. He watched as Kagome sat up with him still straddling her legs so that she could trace and run her hands along the planes of his chest and arms. While he was thin compared to many other shinigami, his body was well defined. And it drove him mad watching the lust swim in Kagome's eyes before her pink tongue came out to play with his nipple causing him to groan.

When he felt impatient hands begin tugging at the ties to his hakamas, he remembered that this could very well be their last time together. That just meant that he would have to make it count.

Pushing the small woman back to the bed, Gin returned Kagome's gesture in kind. He drew one rosy bud into his mouth as a hand began to knead the neglected breast. Kagome began to writhe beneath him as his ministrations continued and her hands once more tangled in his hair. He chuckled deeply as her back arched her up into him with some well placed pressure against her core using his thigh.

He left his leg there and let her continue to both relieve and build her tortured pleasure by grinding against him. He was content to continue lavishing her chest until he felt her hands draw away from his hair and start on a path further south. She had trouble with his pants but eventually gave up and settled for teasing him through the fabric instead.

A deep moan escaped his throat at the feel of her hands stroking him but not _touching_ him. He gave her nipple a quick nip and her actions quickly ended as she released a startled gasp. He was beside her face in an instant pressing his fingers against her lips as she gave a small whimper. "Shh," he reminded. "There are ears patrolling the halls." With her nod his fingers left her lips and trailed down her throat to her chest, into the dip of her small waist, and landed on the ties keeping her hakamas in place.

The material of the pants, and her panties as well, were shucked from her long legs before she knew what had happened causing her to shiver in both cold and anticipation. "Gin," she whispered biting her lower lip gently.

Gin admired the body laid out before him. She was as beautiful as she had always been. Lightly tanned skin and ebony hair caught the attention of many men, but he knew that they would never be given access to the recesses of her heart. That was where he resided and he wasn't looking to share.

"Kagome," he whispered into her ear as he leaned down to hover over her. They could both be a little rough at times, but if this would be their last time Gin wanted to show her how much she truly meant to him. Balancing his weight on one arm, he easily reached down to untie his hakamas and smoothly kicked them off. He almost hissed when her small hands found what they'd been looking for earlier.

He kissed her and received a muffled groan when he began reciprocating by pushing two of his long digits into her to make sure that she was ready for him. Kagome rose to meet his hand as he continued to pump in and out for a few moments, relishing in the warm and slick feeling.

As he positioned himself between her toned legs, Gin broke the kiss and watched Kagome's face. Propping one arm by her head and using the other arm to bring her left leg up to hook beside his hip, he slowly eased into his personal paradise. She was hot and her body always seemed to form to fit him perfectly.

He watched as Kagome's eyes closed and her head tilted back in bliss. He kissed her exposed throat and began a slow rhythm of long thrusts. His lips felt the vibrations in her throat as she let a few tiny mewls slip out. They never spoke the word 'love' aloud to each other, but when they were together they were able to communicate the feeling clearly with their bodies.

He continued at the same pace for a while feeling the friction between their bodies lessen as each began to sweat. Then Kagome began thrusting her hips to meet his more forcefully and he instinctively sped up.

With her hair beginning to stick to her face and shoulders, Gin caught Kagome's gaze and red held blue as their breathing became heavy and labored. It wasn't long before he felt his climax swiftly approaching, but he knew that Kagome was close as well. Her hands squeezed his arms as her lean legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him deeper into her body.

"G-Gin," she whimpered as she tried to remain quiet and not alert any who may have been near the room.

When her walls began tightening around his length, Gin crashed his mouth down to Kagome's to stifle her loud moan as they both lost themselves in oblivion.

As they slowly came down from the residual orgasmic high, Gin continued to hold her in his arms. Once he pulled out of her heat and settled beside her, Kagome snuggled deep into his embrace and released a tired yet contented sigh. It was quite late in the evening and they had just expended a great deal of energy. So, stroking her hair once more, Gin waited for her to fall asleep before he stood and began to dress again.

After gathering her clothes and tucking them under his arm, he wrapped her in the sheet from the bed so that she would be warm and lifted her into his arms. He looked into the hall and when he was sure that nobody was around, he flash-stepped to Kagome's division and quickly entered her room.

She'd once gone on and on about several large pillows that were used to sleep on that she'd seen in a store one day, but hadn't had the money to buy. He'd immediately bought them (anonymously, of course), and they now decorated her room in a splash of blue.

He settled her into their soft depths before making his way to her desk to borrow her ink set and some paper. It was with a heavy heart that he wrote out his words. But it was with a thoroughly shattered heart that he left her almost two hours later with nothing more than a letter, a rose from a nearby vase, a stroke to her cheek, and a gentle kiss.

It was in his letter that she would find his final goodbye and his only open confession of love.

When he saw Aizen within the offices of the Central Forty-six hours later, the brunette gave him a measuring look. "Are you still committed to the plan?"

Gin looked at him with his normal overly-friendly smile back in place. "Of course, Captain. I'm here, aren't I?"

Aizen leveled him with one last doubting look before dismissing him, "Then you should be going, shouldn't you? They'll be escorting Rukia Kuchiki from her cell to Sokyoku Hill soon."

Gin left to play out his role in his Captain's plan all the while praying that Kagome slept long enough to be spared his betrayal for a few hours longer than the rest.

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AN: Okay, that was the very first lemon I ever wrote and didn't wimp out on halfway through xD So please be gentle in your critiques ^_^ I wanted to explore a side of Gin that I think he hides from his comrades. Sorry if it seems like the tone changes here or there. I listen to music when I write and while I was mainly listening to a repeated track of Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy, some SR-71 got slipped in there . Oh! I also did a piece of fanart to accompany this story! It's posted on my deviantArt page which is linked as the "homepage" link on my profile.

Up next in out line-up we have: Kenpachi! Thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoyed this installment! Until next time!!


	9. My Pet

AN: Holy crap! I'm back! Ohhhhh, it feels great to get back to this series :D Crap…I think my right arrow key just died…Oh well, more important things to worry about. One thing I want to do is give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed so far! You guys are great and awesome. Also, I WILL get to each and every request I get. I feel bad when I get a request and check my list and see that it's not for another few chapters (like poor Renji! He doesn't get his turn for several more…). But in the meantime there are some pairings that not even I would have ever thought of and I LOVE a good obscure pairing! You guys are really thinking outside the box and challenging me with this! I love it! Keep it up! Throw me some curveballs.  
Kenpachi took so long because I couldn't decide which route to take with him. Then I was at work the other day and idea hit me so suddenly that I started laughing (and receiving odd looks). I hope everyone likes it as much as I think I will xD

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 9: My Pet  
Pairing: Kagome/Kenpachi  
Rating: M  
For: XxHaku-Spirited-Away-RoseXxXx, Slypy, and Nasuki- formally Orihime Girl

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Kenpachi Zaraki walked into his division after returning from the latest Captain's meeting. He'd been questioned about the latest addition to his division…again. The questions would probably stop if this little addition was actually one of his division members. Or a shinigami for that matter.

He was on his way to his personal quarters when a light jingling reached his ears. There was only one other person in the area who jingled when they walked. The predatory smirk that crossed his face couldn't be helped as the noise grew closer until the cause of the noise finally came into his line of sight.

Ikkaku was the first person to come skidding around the corner and almost crash into the wall. But he quickly righted himself and tore off in a dead run once more, laughing like a madman the entire time. His laughter could be heard even after he was out of his Captain's sight down another hallway.

The next person to round the first corner his bald officer had appeared from was Yumichika who was soaking wet. The slightly soapy water that was dripping off of him as he ran made his progress a great deal slower than his dry friend's, but he seemed to be keeping out of the reach of who they were running from. As he passed with the rushed acknowledgement of "Captain" and a small nod, Kenpachi noticed that a deep blush was staining his cheeks while a happy grin graced his mouth. He too disappeared down the next hallway, but not before having his feet slip out from under him.

Finally, the person he'd been waiting to appear scrambled around the corner and slipped on the water from herself and Yumichika causing her to hit the wall she'd been trying to avoid. It was no wonder that the two men were so far ahead of her. When she found her footing again and took off, Kenpachi got a good look at her.

Deep onyx hair fluttered behind her flinging droplets of water from the tips while her bangs clung to her face and neck. Slick, porcelain skin glistened in the light. And what a great portion of skin it was! A damp towel was all that she had to keep her modesty intact, and she was just barely able to keep that clenched shut with one small fist as she ran. Lean legs drew the towel higher as they extended in front of her, but the cursed fluffy cloth was just long enough to keep her covered. And along with her panting breath and the soft padding of her feet, the jingling of her bells echoed through the hall.

Kenpachi still remembered how she got those bells.

It was close to one year ago that Yachiru had announced that she'd brought home a 'pet' that she'd found in the Rukongai. He had told her no and that she had to return it the entire way to his room where she'd left her new 'pet.' But when the door was opened and he saw what was in his room, all of his protests stopped.

On the floor was a young woman in a pink yukata tugging furiously on a chain that was connected to a thick piece of leather loosely hanging around her neck. Her black hair was wavy and slightly messy from her struggles while her blue eyes glared at the chain with such fire that he was sure it would melt away at any moment. But along with the chain, there were bells on the collar. One bell every couple of inches the entire way around. So the entire time she would tug or struggle a light, musical noise followed.

The sight and accompanying sounds were so amusing that a deep chuckle escaped the large Captain's throat. This of course caught the young woman's attention and she whipped around to meet his eyes looking very much like a deer in the headlights. But when she spotted Yachiru perched on his shoulder, the screaming began.

"What's wrong with you people? You can't just take people off the street and chain them up! Let me go! You can't seriously plan on keeping me here!" She yelled while her eyes darted between him and his Lieutenant.

There was something about her—something in her eyes—that made him disregard everything he'd told Yachiru about the subject up to that point. "Fine," he said to the pink-haired girl. "But she's your responsibility."

As he turned to leave the room he caught the stunned look that the girl was giving him. It would only be the first of many.

Looking back on it, he would admit to himself that letting Yachiru keep a woman (however attractive she might have been) as a pet may have been unconventional or even morally unsound, but when had he ever claimed to be either? Kagome, as she later learned was her name, had yelled and screamed for a couple of more weeks before she started to accept things. She was kept safe, sheltered, clothed, and fed. Nobody denied that it was an odd arrangement, but everyone seemed happy with it. Kagome was good at keeping the men of his division in line and they enjoyed the eye candy that she provided. He also finally had someone around to teach Yachiru a little more about being a girl.

But at the moment, the division's 'pet' was practically streaking through the halls because some of his men had peeked in on her bath…again.

Kenpachi reached out an arm and scooped Kagome up around her waist before tossing her over his shoulder and walking to his original destination: his room. The small woman yelled the entire time about perverts and privacy but finally lost some of her steam by the time he dropped her to rest on his bed.

He smirked down at her as she fumed. She pouted as she glared at his stomach and still clutched her towel which had started to slip some revealing a bit more cleavage. "Why'd you stop me?" She grumbled. "They'd deserve anything I gave them once I caught up!"

"They have work that they need to do," Kenpachi told her. "Dry off, get dressed, and then you can chase them around when you aren't making a mess through my barracks."

"But—!" She began to protest.

Quickly reaching out to grab her chin in his fist, Kenpachi brought her face up to meet his. "What's my rule?" He asked lowering his voice to a husky rumble.

Kagome only glared at him for a moment before glancing to the right and ignoring him. "Kagome," he said with an edge creeping into his tone. The woman was beautiful and highly amusing, but she could be incredibly stubborn sometimes.

Kagome sighed as she slowly brought her gaze back to stare straight into the large man's only visible eye. "Yes?" She asked sweetly with a large, incredibly fake smile.

"What's my rule?" Kenpachi repeated.

Rolling her eyes and sighing in defeat, Kagome muttered, "Obey."

"And you're going to do what I tell you, right?"

"I guess," she growled out.

"Good girl," he said before pulling her face closer to his and capturing her mouth in a dominating kiss. He smirked when she let out a small squeak but responded soon after.

They both had dominant personalities and they fought publicly often, but when they were alone he made sure that his pet knew exactly who was in charge.

Kenpachi growled in pleasure when he reached one hand back to fist in his lover's damp hair causing her to moan deeply. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked the flesh until he knew that it would swell before releasing and pushing his tongue into her waiting mouth.

Two small hands tangled in his hair at the base of his neck as he heard the damp towel slide down her body. Knowing that she was now in the nude, Kenpachi pushed her to her back and pinned her small body with his much larger one. One hand continued to keep a tight hold on her hair while the other slid down her neck and across her shoulder to roughly palm a round breast. He was again treated to a throaty moan and he stopped kissing her momentarily so that he could hear the sound echo around him.

Kagome arched her back to press closer to the hard body covering her. The man could be infuriating and was overly aggressive at times, but he made her body and soul feel alive in a way that none had before. She wasn't sure if what she felt was love, but it was definitely worth sticking around to find out.

She ground her hips against his and brought her hands from his hair to dance across the muscles of his chest and abdomen. His available hand left her breast and grasped her hip to keep her in place before sliding over her skin and resting above her core. She groaned in anticipation and did her best not to squirm too much. But when his thumb grazed over her damp folds before slowly massaging her jewel, Kagome threw her head back in a silent scream. They were both fairly certain that most of the division knew what went on when the door to his room was shut, but why confirm or deny anything? It was best to keep the others on their toes.

Kenpachi smirked wickedly before pulling his hand away and then withdrawing from Kagome completely. He'd figured out how to push her buttons some time ago. If he got her riled up now and let her stew in her sexual frustrations for a while, she'd be ready to practically jump him by the time he finished his work for the day. And if he had to put up with a small case of blue balls until then, so be it. He thought the payoff was worth it.

Kagome looked up at Kenpachi questioningly. There was no way that he was going to stop there! _'Crap…'_ she thought as she saw his smirking face. He could be a sadistic bastard when he wanted to be.

But the entire time that Kagome was glaring at Kenpachi, he was simply enjoying the view. Kagome was laying on the bed before him with her hair a mess, body completely exposed for his pleasure, and a delectable flush covering most of her skin. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, and it was all he could do not to give in then and there.

"Finish drying off, get dressed, and then go teach those two idiots a lesson. They should know better than to sneak into the showers when you're in there," he told her as he turned to leave.

Kagome watched as the door slid shut with her mouth open in disbelief. This was the fourth time that he'd done this to her! She'd just have to think of a way to break him of this little habit. And she knew just the people to help her come up with a plan. Grinning evilly, she pushed herself off of the bed before snatching up her towel and heading to her closet. It looked like she would be paying a visit to one Rangiku Matsumoto and one Kyouraku Shunsui very soon.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

AN: And there we go! I hope you liked it! I've been looking forward to the next chapter for a while now because I've had it planned out in my head since before I wrote Scars, I think. The next chapter is going to feature Byakuya! While I do think that Bya/Kag has been done a LOT (almost overdone), I'm excited to do this one. Anyway, I hope you'll be back for the next installment and I'm very sorry that this took so long. I feel like I've had to neglect a lot lately. I'm STILL trying to move, I recently celebrated my 21st birthday, and work has me putting in overtime with graduation coming up tomorrow (I work at a college).  
Also, I've noticed a lot of people doing this formspring thing. Would anyone be interested if I got one? All questions would be game, not just things pertaining to my stories or fanfiction. Just looking for a little feedback on that ^_^ Well, as always, thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next chapter!


	10. Second Chances

AN: Guess what? I finally moved! I'm not done, but I'm at least sleeping in my new house. Anyway, not much else to say so on with the story! Oh, one last thing that I forgot. My updates are going to be few and far between until the os for my phone updates. Where I'm living now the only internet access I have is through my phone. Once Android 2.2 is released I'll be able to use my phone as a hotspot. But until then, since I live out in the country now (no high-speed, but the stars sure are pretty!), I have to take my laptop into town to my dad or boyfriend's house.

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 10: Second Chances  
Pairing: Kagome/Byakuya  
Rating: T  
For: XxHaku-Spirited-Away-RoseXxXx, Kenjo, Kamichama12

=.=.=.==.=.=.=

A small boy appearing to be around the age of four ran through the hallways of his family's estate. His destination had been the courtyard in search of his favorite ball, but he became distracted when he heard voices coming from his father's study. Peeking inside through the slightly parted doors, the boy could see his father talking with another man and woman.

"Byakuya," his father called causing his to stiffen at being caught. "Come here for a moment."

Byakuya did as he was told and entered the room quietly while taking in the appearance of the other man and woman. Large grey eyes positioned on a rounded porcelain face blinked as the young boy looked up and said, "Yes Father?"

"I would like you to meet someone." His father gestured to the couple sitting across from him. "This is the head of another clan belonging to Soul Society's aristocracy, Lord and Lady Ukitake."

Byakuya bowed respectfully in greeting to the couple as he had been taught to do. When he stood again his eyes landed on a small bundle within the woman's arms.

Seeing his son's curiosity, Byakuya's father smiled. "And that is their newest daughter."

Byakuya tried to see over the woman's arm by angling his face upwards and standing on his tip-toes. When his feet started inching forward unconsciously, the Lady Ukitake smiled gently and asked, "Would you like to see her, Byakuya?" At the child's eager and silent nod, she bent forward slightly and said, "Come closer. It's alright."

Byakuya stepped closer until he was directly in front of the woman. Curious eyes looked over the small being. He'd never seen a baby this closely before and took his time to study the girl. Chubby cheeks rounded her face that he found himself wanting to touch. Small pink lips were slightly parted as she slept. Wisps of black hair thinly covered the top of her head, but Byakuya's attention returned to a small, slightly pink nose as it twitched and the baby made a face before slowly blinking open sapphire eyes. When grey met blue, the two children simply stared at each other. Byakuya found himself leaning in closer for a better view causing some of his own black hair to fall past his shoulder.

He smiled when the baby girl broke into her own toothless grin. But as she gurgled happily, he was brought back to reality by the sharp pain is his scalp as the baby tugged at the fistful of hair she'd managed to grab.

Byakuya quickly freed himself before glaring slightly at the infant and deciding that he did not like babies. He made a quick retreat from the room in search of his ball once more as he heard the adults in the room chuckle lightly at their children's first interaction.

=.=.=.=

The years passed and the two children saw each other on occasion, but Byakuya never liked Kagome much after the initial hair-pulling incident. Byakuya began his training to one day enter one of the thirteen court guard squads and take over as the head of the Kuchiki clan, but that was a long way off yet. Kagome, now appearing to be about six, was learning how to be a lady.

Juushiro was leading Kagome around the Kuchiki grounds as their parents met with the Kuchiki head once again. The young girl who loved her brother dearly had been ecstatic to see him awaiting them outside the Kuchiki household in his academy uniform. Now they were walking through the gardens together.

When they came to an open space they stopped to watch the young Kuchiki heir practice his forms. "You're doing very well, Byakuya," Juushiro complimented.

Stopping for the moment, Byakuya addressed their guests. "Thank you," he said acknowledging the older boy with a small bow. "What happened to your hair?" Byakuya observed.

Juushiro took a lock of his white hair between his fingers and was about to answer when a small voice piped up from behind his leg. "Brother is sick," Kagome said while gripping her brother's blue hakamas tighter. She glared at the boy who only appeared to be four years older than herself and he glared back.

A sigh escaped Juushiro's throat. The two children may have been betrothed to one another—not that the duo knew about that just yet—but if they didn't move past whatever problem they seemed to have with one another they would likely kill each other within the first year.

=.=.=.=

Kagome ran into the Kuchiki gardens where she knew Byakuya to be practicing. As she entered into adolescence, she found her annoyance with the young man lessening. But he only seemed more annoyed with her than ever. She bent over to look into the water of a small pond and frowned as she thought that she couldn't really blame him. Who would want to hang around with someone who looked like she did?

She looked impossibly thin, the result of a growth spurt as she lost her baby fat. Her arms and legs were like rails and her torso possessed no curves at all. Her parents, brother, and sisters treated her as though she would break if the wind blew too hard. But she was what her sisters called a "tomboy." She much preferred hakamas and a haori to the yukatas that her mother bought her. She reached up to touch her wild hair that she was never quite able to tame before sighing. "Will I ever be pretty?" She asked the fish swimming lazily in the pond.

Not receiving an answer, Kagome straightened and back to her search for her betrothed. She finally spied him as she stepped from some bushes. Byakuya was as handsome as ever now appearing to be about sixteen. His smooth black hair was pulled into a ponytail as he trained with his sleeves rolled up exposing smooth skin over lean muscle. His shoulders were broad and his chest and stomach were flat. He was several inches taller than she was and that height difference would probably continue to grow for several more years.

"What do you want, Kagome?" Byakuya called to her tensely.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Kagome stepped further from the bushes. "How did you know I was there?" She asked.

Byakuya rolled his eyes and looked at her as if the answer was obvious. "It's part of my training. Of course I knew that you were behind me. Just like I know you stopped by the pond before coming here."

Kagome was about to respond when a laugh caught the teen and pre-teen's attention. "Now that's no way to treat your future bride, little Byakuya."

Byakuya clenched his teeth as she ground out, "Yoruichi." The flick of his ponytail was all the warning he received before his long hair fell around his shoulders. "Give that back!" He yelled as he made a grab for the blue ribbon dangling in front of his face only to have it disappear at the last second.

"You should be nicer to little Kagome, Byakuya," Yoruichi scolded mockingly as she reappeared behind the girl. "Besides," she added as she pulled Kagome's hair up into a ponytail. "I think this blue ribbon looks much better on her than you. It brings out her eyes."

"What do you know?" Byakuya asked rhetorically as he glared at the older girl.

"I know that if you aren't nicer to your betrothed I'll have to come steal her away from you one day," the Shihoin princess teased before kissing Kagome lightly on the cheek.

Yoruichi laughed loudly as she watched to younger boy and girl blush lightly.

=.=.=.=

Kagome sat in one of the tea rooms within the Kuchiki mansion worrying her lip between her teeth. A gentle hand reached up to pull the slightly swollen flesh from its abuse. "Stop that," a deep voice reassured. "You have nothing to worry about."

Kagome knew that her brother was right; he was always right. Now the human equivalent of eighteen years old, Kagome had come back to the Kuchiki house with her older brother to discuss the wedding arrangements for her wedding to Byakuya. But she was nervous because of the time that had passed since the last time they'd seen each other. With her parents passing away and her brother's absence from their home, things had been busy for her. But in that time Byakuya had also lost his parents, become a Captain, and taken his seat as head of the Kuchiki household; which gave him all the more reason for him to take a wife now.

"I know I know that I shouldn't be this nervous, but I can't help it. It's been so long, Juushiro…" Kagome exhaled a sigh as she closed her eyes. She had grown up, but she was still self-conscious about the way she looked. Growing up with older sisters had given her something of a complex about beauty. And she was far from comfortable in what her sisters had dressed her in for this particular meeting. Several layers of color kimonos made her body feel heavy and her face felt suffocated by the makeup that they had applied. Then there was the matter of her hair which was pulled up so tightly that it was giving her a headache.

"Well you won't have to worry much longer. I can hear him coming now," Juushiro stated.

Kagome listened to two sets of footsteps before they stopped in front of the doors to the room without opening them. Puzzled, Kagome listened intently to what was being said.

"Master Byakuya, you must have this meeting," the voice of the Kuchiki family's head advisor stated. "Your father met with the Ukitake family for many years to prepare for your marriage to their youngest daughter. She is here with her brother—now head of the family—and you cannot refuse them audience."

"I've already told you," a deep, smooth voice answered. "My father may have made the arrangements, but I never agreed to such a thing. I have fallen in love with another and I will bring Hisana into this family as my wife. There is nothing else to say on the subject. Now I must meet with my bride about our wedding. You will dismiss the Ukitake girl and apologize for taking up their time while I tend to other matters that demand my attention." With that Byakuya continued down the hallway alone as his advisor sighed and prepared himself for the task assigned to him.

Kagome sat shell-shocked from what she had heard. She knew that they hadn't agreed with one another as children, but she couldn't believe that he wouldn't even see her. And what's more, he had found another woman and turned his nose up at their marriage contract!

Tears of humiliation and heartbreak stung her eyes as she attempted to keep her composure before she was pulled into her brother's strong arms.

=.=.=.=

After Byakuya had married Hisana, Kagome decided to move into the country to live on her own. She had not other plans for her life and thought it would be best to be away from the socializing of the aristocrats for a while. She started gardening and growing her own food and medicinal herbs and she was truly happy. But even that life was taken from her after several years passed.

She had not expected to come home from her stroll through the forest to see her brother waiting for her. It would have been an exciting sight under normal circumstances, but when she noticed the solemn look on his face she knew that something was wrong.

"Kagome," Juushiro began, "I need you to come back to the court with me." His eyes were heavy with conflicting emotions and Kagome picked up on it.

"What happened?" She asked flatly.

Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for what he had to say, Juushiro cut straight to the matter at hand. "Hisana Kuchiki took ill and died several years after she and Byakuya were wed. He never remarried or expressed any desire to do so, but the family's elders have been pressuring him to remarry and produce an heir since he and Hisana never had any children." He stopped when Kagome's eyes widened with the realization of what he was going to ask of her. "The Kuchiki elders have brought up the point that your marriage contract with Byakuya still stood and have asked that you return to fulfill it."

"You can't ask me to do that…" Kagome felt her breath becoming short.

"I'm not the one asking you to. If it were up to me, you wouldn't be going back. But Mother and Father wished for you to marry into the Kuchiki clan and be well taken care of. Byakuya has consented to the marriage and it is to take place within the week. I'm sure you'll be able to find happiness if you give him another chance, Kagome."

"Fine," Kagome said tersely. "Give me a moment to pack what I will need and I'll send for the rest of my things later."

And with that, Kagome prepared herself for the inevitable.

=.=.=.=

It had been four months since Kagome had become Lady of the Kuchiki household. But she had still not found the happiness that she held in the country.

She had Byakuya had consummated their marriage on their wedding night, but it had been awkward and seemed much more like the completion of a business deal than an intimate act between newlywed lovers. Kagome briefly wondered if he'd held more passion for his late wife. Surely he had. He had broken clan law to be with her, after all. _'It must be nice to have someone care for you that much,'_ Kagome thought as she looked up at the moon.

Placing a hand on her lower stomach, Kagome rubbed a small circle and smiled. Their wedding night had yielded more than the binding of a contract. The Kuchiki elders had been thrilled to hear that she'd become pregnant so soon. Perhaps her happiness would come with the baby.

Kagome thought that the most annoying part of the entire arrangement was the fact that she had actually cared for the Kuchiki lord and still did. She'd developed a little girl's crush when she was a teenager and gradually fell more and more in love as she learned of him; his strength, his intelligence, his grace, his beauty, his loyalty. And it appeared that those feelings hadn't died even after he turned his back on her. Now the question was whether or not he would ever come to love her.

Byakuya started out at his wife currently strolling through the gardens at night. Kagome, the girl he'd known all through his childhood, was his wife. It was still odd to think about. But he soon realized that she was far from the girl that he'd once known. No longer was she lanky and awkward or temperamental and loud. That girl had long been replaced by someone who had found a peace and calmness in the world around them. She was at her most beautiful surrounded by nature, he thought. She simply seemed to glow as she basked in the moonlight.

He'd found out on their wedding night that she'd filled out in several places since he'd last seen her. Her curves were soft and her skin was smooth. Her lips were the same rosy color that he remembered them being when he first saw her as an infant. Her hair had smoothed into an obsidian silk curtain that hung down her back and swayed when she walked.

But since she'd moved into his mansion she had seemed coy and withdrawn, and this concerned him. Was she not happy? He hadn't been thrilled at the mention of marrying again and even less so when he'd heard that he was to marry the annoying girl from his childhood. But that girl was gone and a beautiful woman had taken her place. Maybe she would open up to him more after he presented her with his gift.

"Kagome," Byakuya called gently as he approached her in the moonlight. "What are you doing out so late?"

Kagome turned to look at her husband and answered, "I miss going on strolls at night. But it is getting late. I suppose I'll go inside."

Byakuya grasped her hand as she turned to leave and met her gaze when she looked up at him with a question in her eyes. "I wish to speak with you."

"Alright," she consented as she turned to face him more directly.

"I am sorry if I haven't made you feel as at home as I should have. This is going to take some adjusting on both of our parts, I believe." He paused as she nodded once softly. "But maybe this will be a first step towards making you feel more like a Kuchiki," Byakuya explained as he unwrapped a piece of cloth from what he was holding. "This was my mother's favorite hair comb. She once told me that it was a gift from her mother on her wedding day to my father. I remembered the jeweled blue flowers and thought that it would suit you much better than the box that it's been in all of these years."

Kagome looked at the beautiful comb adorned with sapphires and pearls, but she bit her bottom lip as she shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't accept this."

"Why?" Byakuya asked thoroughly confused and slightly hurt.

"That is something that you should give to someone that you love, not to someone who happened to become your wife out of necessity."

"Then will you allow me a second chance to get to know the woman you have become. I've realized that you are very different from the little girl I once knew. Maybe when we come to know each other, you will wear this to show a love that was never really given a chance."

Kagome smiled as she looked into Byakuya's handsome face. "That sounds like a very nice plan to me, Byakuya Kuchiki."

=.=.=.=

Many years later a little girl with black hair and grey eyes ran into her mother and father's room to find her mother getting ready for her day as she did every morning.

"Mommy, can I as a question?" The girl asked.

"I don't know, can you?" Her mother teased.

The girl frowned before she corrected herself. "Mommy, _may_ I ask a question?"

"You may, my love. What do you wish to know?" Kagome asked as she gave her undivided attention to her daughter.

"Why do you wear that hair comb every day? You have others, but you always wear the blue one."

Kagome smiled as she saw Byakuya pass by their bedroom with one of the family's advisors on their way to his office no doubt. "I wear this because your father and I love each other very much," she answered as she picked up the small girl and placed her in her lap to play with her hair.

When Kagome noticed the odd look that she was receiving from her daughter, she merely laughed and said, "You'll understand one day when you're older." She then kissed her daughter on top of the head and placed her back on the ground before saying, "Now let's get you ready. We're paying a visit to your Uncle Juushiro today, remember?"

The small girl smiled brightly at the mention of her uncle and ran back to her room to get dressed in what her mother had laid out for her the night before.

Kagome glanced back at the mirror once more, ghosting her fingers over the hair comb Byakuya had gifted her with, before smiling and standing to go help their daughter.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

AN: Awwww ^_^ I'm happy with that! Well it's getting late and I'm going to try to finish a couple of other things that I'm working on so that I can get several things posted at once tomorrow! Goodnight all and I hope you enjoyed! Oh, and up next is Ulquiorra! I think he's probably the most requested pairing so far!


	11. I Meant What I Said

AN: Newest installment! I have to admit though, Ulquiorra is probably the character that I know the least about, so bear with me and forgive any glaring errors with his character…

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 11: I Meant What I Said  
Pairing: Kagome/Ulquiorra  
Rating: T  
Prompt: Acceptance  
For: Haru Inuzuka, XxHaku-Spirited-Away-RoseXxXx, Kamichama12, Stebba stud28

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

Kagome waited in the hall outside of the young human woman's room. She wasn't sure what Ulquiorra was doing in there, but she was sure that she didn't want to know. He was often cold and unfeeling towards everyone, herself included, but she accompanied him everywhere he went. She had seen that so many others disliked him and thought that he needed at least one companion. She thought that perhaps he would open his heart to someone is he was shown how. But so far that plan hadn't been very successful.

When the pale man exited the room and saw her waiting for him, he simply stared at her blankly for a moment. Then he asked, "Why do you always wait for me?"

Kagome simply smiled at the one who had brought her in from the wasteland known as Hueco Mundo. She wasn't sure how she had gotten there and knew that the Espada male had likely only taken her from the sands because he found her "interesting," but she saw something in him that apparently none of the others saw.

"Because I meant what I said," she answered as she followed after him down the hall.

"I know," was Ulquiorra's only response.

=.=.=.=

Kagome bit her lip and cringed as she watched Ulquiorra easily kill more of the creatures he'd been ordered to dispose of by Aizen. It wasn't so much the fact that he was killing, but Kagome could see no signs of remorse in his emerald eyes as he did so.

But she knew that he would need someone someday. When everything that he had ever done caught up with him, he would need someone by his side who knew what he had done and what he had gone through but would be able to accept his past. He would need someone so that he didn't go insane with guilt.

When Ulquiorra was finished with his task he walked past Kagome as he wiped his hands before asking, "Why do you insist on following me?"

Falling in step beside him and glancing at him with sad eyes, Kagome answered, "Because I meant what I said."

Ulquiorra was quiet for a moment before he said, "I know."

=.=.=.=

Kagome sat next to the bed in which Ulquiorra lay trying to heal him. He had gotten into a fight with another Espada and something was interfering with his natural ability to heal himself.

The woman by his side slowly worked on using her own powers to heal the gashes running along his chest before Ulquiorra said, "Your human emotions are wasted. They are nothing but limitations on what you could achieve." He knew that the female held power, but she was often unable to full harness its potential.

Kagome was silent as she continued her task with a sad smile. She knew that he may never truly understand, but she could wait.

"Why do you ignore the obvious truth by holding onto your heart?" He questioned.

"Because I meant what I said," Kagome answered in a tired voice.

Ulquiorra directed his attention back to her hands which were healing him as he said, "I know."

=.=.=.=

Ulquiorra opened his eyes and blinked several times before the reality of the situation came to him. He had died. He was positive of the fact. Ichigo Kurosaki had ended his life in their battle. But the small particles of ash floating through the room and gathering to rematerialize his body told a different story.

He looked up from his position lying on the floor to see Kagome meditating with a glowing pink jewel in her hands. When she cracked open any eye to look at him she smiled softly before closing her eyes again and focusing on her task. He lifted his arm and watched as his hand formed before his eyes once more. Then he remembered the moments just before his "death" and reflected on the revelation he'd had.

Kagome brought her hands to her lap as she finished repairing and rebuilding Ulquiorra's body. She knew that he would need her one day, and now she only hoped that he could now understand why she was always with him.

Ulquiorra continued to look at his hand as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He directed his gaze to Kagome before slowly speaking, "You meant it when you said that you would stay by my side until I understood what a heart is."

"I know," Kagome smiled as she realized that he finally knew what she had truly meant.

"And you will continue by my side knowing what I have done?" He asked.

"Yes," she answered simply.

Reaching out an unsure arm, Ulquiorra slowly pulled Kagome to his chest not totally sure what to do before saying, "Thank you."

"Of course," Kagome answered as if it were the most natural and obvious thing in the world.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

AN: And there we go! I'm pleased with how that turned out :] What do you guys think? I know it's shorter than some of the others, but I knew that if I kept it short I wouldn't be as likely to screw up Ulquiorra's character. Anyway, I'm keeping this short because I have some more work to do on a few other chapters before my mass-update. Next up in the series is a pairing that I've never seen done before featuring Jin Kariya! I'll see you next time and thanks for reading!


	12. At What Point

AN: OH MY GOSH! It has taken me so long to find just the right direction to take this one-shot! I had thought and thought and thought and nothing ever came. Then the other day I was driving down the highway and a song came on the radio and it hit me! Anyway, I'm going to get down to it and I hope you enjoy (even if this one is a little short). Also, sorry about my obscenely long absence!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 12: At What Point…  
Pairing: Kagome/Jin Kariya  
Rating: T (Mostly for imagery towards the end)  
For: Slypy

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

At what point do the stars in the night sky lose their luster?

When the girl with stars in her eyes can no longer looks at you.

_"Jin! Jin, come outside! The sky is so clear! Aren't the stars beautiful? It seems like forever since I've seen them. I'm glad the storm clouds have finally passed," Kagome said as she rubbed her arms in the cool night air._

_As she was suddenly pulled back against a strong chest, she tilted her head back and smiled up at her lover as she gazed into his crimson eyes. "Look up, silly!"_

_"I don't think I will. I've found something better right here," Jin replied as he kissed the smaller woman's forehead._

At what point does food lose its taste?

When the woman who made your favorite dishes is no longer in the kitchen.

_"Okay, close your eyes and open your mouth," Kagome said as she held a bowl of __**something**__ behind her back. Jin looked at her warily from his chair at their table. Rolling her eyes, Kagome stated again, "Close your eyes and open your mouth."_

_Complying after a moment, Jin did as told hoping that he wouldn't regret it. A spoon touched his bottom lip and he opened wider to accommodate before closing his lips around the utensil to prevent spilling anything. The spoon left his mouth leaving behind a warm liquid with different chunks of food. Keeping his eyes shut, he chewed and analyzed the different tastes. He eventually swallowed and opened his eyes to look at the woman he loved as she waited eagerly for his opinion._

_"That was delicious! What is it?" He asked._

_Kagome beamed before setting the bowl of food in front of him and answering, "It's called Oden. My mother taught me how to make it a long time ago."_

At what point do bells begin to ring dully?

When the woman with the tinkling laughter is silent.

_Jin couldn't help the smile the sound that reached his ears. He stood with groceries in his arms as the woman he had chosen to spend his long life with played with some of the town's many children. He had noticed some of the townspeople giving them odd looks and muttering on their never-altering appearance. He knew that they would be forced to leave soon and find somewhere new to live._

_A ball of cold slush collided with the side of his head. He turned to look at the smiling woman before she began laughing at the half-hearted glare that he was giving her. The church bells began to ring and he mused that the seemed to be in perfect harmony with Kagome's laughter._

_Christmas…they would stay in this town until Christmas, at least._

At what point does hatred begin to consume you?

When the only person to fill your heart with love is no longer in your life.

_Jin ran as quickly as his legs could carry him. It had been a mistake to stay in this town for as long as they had. He should have talked her into leaving sooner. And now he feared that it may be too late. He had been out gathering wood for their fire when he noticed the smoke coming from the direction of their home._

_Running into the clearing, his heart both flew and sank at what met his eyes. Kagome was fine, but she was on her knees crying beside the burning embers that was once their house. When she noticed that he was there she ran into his embrace and cried at the loss of their home and what it meant for them._

_He quickly became angry. How dare they? Surely the townspeople had hoped that they had been inside the house as it burned._

_Kagome reached up to cup his face with her small hands. When he looked down at her tear streaked face, she smiled weakly up at him as if knowing exactly what he'd been thinking. "Please don't hate them," she said softly. "They're only human and don't understand. They're only afraid and it causes them to make quick and harsh decisions."_

_Jin wondered at how someone could be so forgiving, but he marveled at how with only a few words that same person was able to calm his fury and help him find acceptance. They would begin a search for a new home as soon as they gathered what possessions they could from the dying fire._

At what point do you decide to forfeit your immortal life?

When the person who you planned to spend it with dies.

_"Hurry!" Jin shouted as his hand tightened around Kagome's. Tales of an immortal couple had reached the town that they lived in sooner than either had expected. And now they had to run._

_It was dark and hard to find a path through the dense forest, but they were gaining precious distance from them mob chasing them as they ran. They suddenly broke into an open field and both ran as fast as they could to make it to the trees on the other side. If they could make it, it was likely that they would be able to get away._

_They were over halfway across the field when a gunshot rang through the air. Jin's heart almost stopped when he heard Kagome's cry from beside him before her hand went limp and she fell to the ground._

_"Kagome!" He shouted and he turned to drop to his knees by her side. The woman he loved lay on the grass-covered earth as a pool of her own blood gathered around her from the holes in her back and chest. She could no longer speak but he watched as her eyes connected with his for the last time and the light within them dulled._

_Anger and hatred raged within him as he called upon his powers over the wind and pushed the mob back the way they came. Any that were still conscious after their collision with the surrounding trees ran back to their homes in fear for their lives._

_Jin watched as the jewel Kagome had worn around her neck glowed brightly before five lights shot forth into the night sky to disappear amongst the stars. The jewel itself the proceeded to dull and dissipate into the night air like a fine dust._

_He sat there for several long moments before deciding to pick her up and carry her to a safe burial place. Jin wasn't sure what he would do once he was finished and forced to leave Kagome behind, but he did know that he would find those that were like himself. He would seek his brethren out and then he would find a way to follow her into the night._

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AN: And there it is. The chapter that has given me so much trouble! I hope that it was worth the ridiculous wait. Nothing much else to say here except that the next character on my list is Zangetsu :]

But I have an idea! Call it a little contest, if you wish. Because this took so long to do and was randomly inspired by a song that just happened to come on the radio, if anyone can guess the song I will do a one-shot specifically for you. Not related to this series, you can request any pairing you want from any other show/movie/what-have-you! It will be a separate story all on its own. The only pairings that I'm taking off the table are those involving characters from the Twilight series because I refuse to have anything to do with it…sorry :/ The only hints to the song you're getting are within some of the different sections of the story. Have fun, thanks for reading, and I hope I'll see you the next time around!


	13. Daylight

AN: I'm so excited to get back to this series! Aside from the craziness that has been my life since the last time I updated, it took me forever to come up with an idea for Zangetsu. But I'm back, my list of requests is up to date, and I feel very inspired. Now on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Chapter 13: Daylight (Inspired by the song 'Daylight' by Maroon 5)  
Pairing: Kagome/Zangetsu  
Rating: T  
For: Slypy, o0Inochi0o (who requested a zanpakutou), and Sugar0o  
Prompt: Follow-up to Chapter 6 (King and Queen)

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The sun was setting in Ichigo's sideways inner world, and Zangetsu patiently watched the last rays fade from sight. As darkness took over the city, he waited to see if the change he wished for would take place. It took a few minutes, but the cityscape gradually began to shift. The buildings came together to create a solid expanse before grass began to grow. Trees sprouted and matured into a lush forest in only moments, leaving a small clearing where he stood with a few patches of wildflowers.

A small smile graced Zangetsu's masculine features. Nature always heralded her arrival. Taking off his sunglasses, he watched the tree line for any signs of movement. It wasn't long before a light rustling was heard among the leaves, and a woman dressed in red and white emerged from the darkness.

Zangetsu's smile broadened a little more as he opened his arms and said softly in his deep voice, "Kagome."

As Kagome finished untangling her clothes from the small branches of a nearby bush, she looked up and smiled happily at the dark but welcoming figure that greeted her. Walking into his open arms, she wrapped her own around his waist and sighed contentedly. "Hello again," she mumbled quietly.

They both loved these nights.

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Zangetsu sat at the base of a large tree with Kagome in his lap as they watched the stars make their way across the night sky. Neither was exactly sure of the reason, but while Kagome slept her spirit was sometimes able to visit him within Ichigo's inner world. The only theory that they had was the possibility of a residual link left from the first time that Kagome had been pulled into the sideways city.

When she had first returned, she had been scared that she would encounter the same man as last time. Her guard had been up as she waited and watched for any signs of movement. She hadn't expected for a man to simply step from the shadows without playing games. She held her breath as he simply stared at her. His black hair and coat blew on a wind that she couldn't feel, but his hard eyes continued to bore into her. He was tall…very tall, towering more than a foot over her. But when his deep, smooth voice finally spoke to her, she was surprised by his words.

"I feel that I should apologize," he said.

At a complete loss of words, Kagome stuttered out, "W-what? I don't…why?"

"Ichigo's Hollow side; he frightened you the last time that you were here," the tall man had explained.

"And…where is he now?" Kagome asked tentatively with quick glance around her surroundings.

The man slowly walked towards her until he was only a few feet away. "He and I are two parts of the same soul—Ichigo's soul. We are often of the same body in this world, with one of us being the dominant personality." When Kagome shrank back from him slightly, he added, "While I am here, you are safe." He extended a large hand to her as he introduced, "My name is Zangetsu."

That had been their first of many meetings. Over time they had learned about each other—his dislike of rain and love of nature, her love of helping others and dislike of spiders—and they had grown closer.

On the occasions that she was able to enter the inner world of Ichigo Kurosaki, her spirit was able to bring aspects of her own soul and memories. She brought the nature that Zangetsu had longed for. And in return he was quiet but strong embrace that allowed her to feel safe and cared for. They both knew that because of whom they were, what they were, and the worlds that they belonged to, they would never be able to truly be together. Because they didn't fully understand the reasoning behind her presence within Ichigo's world, they knew that they weren't guaranteed a tomorrow together.

They never spoke of love or the future. They merely enjoyed the times that they had with each other.

Kagome tilted her head back so that she could see Zangetsu's face. His features were sharp and masculine, and she reached her hand up to ghost across the scruffy beard that lined his jaw.

At the light touch, Zangetsu glanced down at the woman on his lap. She had brought a sense of calm to the warring world that he lived in. Their times together were short-lived, but he was grateful for her presence. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and she smiled in return. This was the only part of the night that he didn't like. "The sun will be rising soon," he said as his long fingers brushed through her bangs and into her thick hair.

Kagome frowned and snuggled closer into his chest. "I'm not ready to leave yet," she admitted softly. Looking up to the sky she could see that the stars were beginning to fade away as a soft grey lined the horizon.

Zangetsu watched Kagome's face as the first hints of light touched her features. Because of the nature of what he was, she was the first woman he had ever had contact with. He wondered if it was because she was the only one that he felt the way that he did. If he was able to interact with other women, would he still feel as strongly for Kagome as he did? Would she seem less beautiful, less caring, less kind? Somehow he doubted it. She made him feel like he was his own person and not just a piece of someone else's soul. She had never shown any interest in Ichigo, the human. Kagome had become the first part of a world that was his and his alone.

"Then I will keep you here for as long as I can," he answered as his grip on her tightened softly, and he dipped his head to gently kiss her forehead.

Stunned, Kagome turned wide blue eyes to meet Zangetsu's calm brown ones. A deep blush spread across her cheeks; that was the first time the he had ever kissed her. She turned to face him and he continued to simply watch her actions as he did so often. Leaning forward, she closed her eyes and gently pressed her lips to his.

Feeling Kagome's soft lips against his caused Zangetsu's stomach to tighten. As a spirit meant to enhance another during battle, he had never experienced anything as gentle as a kiss. Proceeding carefully, he lightly placed his hand on the back of Kagome's head and leaned into her. The kiss was gentle and slow, and as he inhaled deeply he wondered if Kagome's human body also smelled flowers.

Kagome wrapped her arms around Zangetsu's neck and pulled him closer as she dug her fingers into his hair. But too soon the heat of the moment died when Kagome felt a familiar tug. Pulling away slowly while placing a few soft pecks on the male spirit's lips, Kagome smiled sadly.

Zangetsu opened his eyes in time to see the rising sun's light create a soft halo around Kagome's form. He held her as the light surrounded them and her body began to fade. There were no goodbyes, only wishes that she would be able to return.

With Kagome's departure, so went the trees and grass. The buildings returned to their places and Zangetsu was once again left sitting on a large pane of glass. He would gladly assist Ichigo in his battles while the sun was in the sky, but when Kagome arrived with the stars, he would become his own man if only for a few hours.

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AN: Not very long, but I like it :] As I said, I'm happy to get back to this series. I have several other stories that I want to update before I circle back to this one, but the next pairing here will include Ryuuken Ishida! For anyone interested in my current update list, I have that posted on my profile so check it out if there are any other stories that you're curious about. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think, feel free to make requests (I'll add them to the list!), and thanks for reading!


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